Almost Kings

A sad tale of young men morally adrift—lacking both purpose and a useful role model—Almost Kings stars Lorenzo James Henrie as Ted, a high school freshman whose yearning for a father figure leads him to join a pack of sexual predators. Billy Campbell plays Ted's abusive, drunken father and Alex Frost is terrific as older brother Truck, who watches distantly as Ted becomes part of the Kings, a tribe of teenage boys who aggressively lure girls—including very young girls—to alcohol-fueled parties for sex. Hungry for male attention but still in possession of a conscience, Ted is torn over the Kings' sociopathic agenda and ends up in conflicts with everyone, including best friend Kallea (Haley Ramm). Co-writer and director Philip G. Flores guides an excellent cast through this gritty, sometimes brutal, coming-of-age tale. Recommended. (T. Keogh)