A notably realistic portrait of borderline poverty and familial dysfunction, Joe the King has such commendable performances (especially Val Kilmer as the abusive, hard-drinking father) and such a beautifully intertwined sense of time, place and circumstance that I hate not being able to recommend it. The writing-directing debut of under-appreciated actor Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction)--whose script won a screenwriting award at Sundance this year--Joe the King is the story of a foul-mouthed 14-year-old boy (Noah Fleiss) trapped in a sullen, angry, desperate life he'll probably never escape. Sadly, the movie just doesn't go anywhere. When the credits rolled at the end, I was still waiting to be engaged by this boy's trials and tribulations with life on the wrong side of the tracks. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)
Joe the King
(Trimark, 100 min., R, VHS: $79.99, DVD: $24.99 [Feb. 15]) Vol. 15, Issue 1
Joe the King
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: