Knowing nothing about this movie except that it was directed by Stuart Gordon, I was expecting something along the lines of a 50s-style monster movie, but with tons of gore. Boy, was I surprised when I popped in that disc and was confronted with this brutal tale of murder for money, double crossing scumbags and bloody retribution.
With King of the Ants, Gordon, master of schlock horror and crazy sci-fi, presents an altogether more gritty affair than his usual output. By combining a rough visual style (that utilises hand-held camera-work to great effect) with his unflinching eye for violent detail, he delivers a shocking film that is genuinely disturbing.
Sean Crawley (Chris McKenna) is a loser; he lives on his own and has a crap job painting housesthat is, until he meets an electrician named Duke (George Wendt), who gets him a job working for Ray Mathews (Daniel Baldwin), a decidedly shady businessman. Sean is hired to follow Eric Gatley, an accountant who has been investigating Ray's property company. When it becomes obvious that Eric is collecting evidence against Ray, Sean is offered a bonus... but only if he successfully manages to 'dispose' of the accountant.
Stuart Gordon is certainly no stranger to the gore having directed 80s splatter-fest Reanimator, but with King of the Ants, the horror is less to do with schlock and more to do with shock. The murder scene is savage beyond words and those of a sensitive disposition are advised to stay well away. This raw violence continues throughout the movie, making it a thoroughly gruelling experience.
Things really get interesting when Ray refuses to pay Sean for his heinous deed. Sean threatens to expose Ray and his goons, and ends up wishing he had stuck to painting. Ray's men submit Sean to days of mental and physical torture during which Sean is beaten repeatedly round the head with golf clubs. Sean eventually escapes and exacts revenge on his tormentors.
When both sets of protagonists are equally vile examples of humanity, it is strange to find yourself rooting for Sean when the bloody finale arrives. This is a guy who has destroyed a loving family unit for money, yet we still feel that somehow he has been wronged. This is the brilliance of Gordon's film; it makes the viewer uneasy about identifying with Sean after everything he has done, questioning our own sense of morality.
Watch King of the Ants and see what I mean.
With King of the Ants, Gordon, master of schlock horror and crazy sci-fi, presents an altogether more gritty affair than his usual output. By combining a rough visual style (that utilises hand-held camera-work to great effect) with his unflinching eye for violent detail, he delivers a shocking film that is genuinely disturbing.
Sean Crawley (Chris McKenna) is a loser; he lives on his own and has a crap job painting housesthat is, until he meets an electrician named Duke (George Wendt), who gets him a job working for Ray Mathews (Daniel Baldwin), a decidedly shady businessman. Sean is hired to follow Eric Gatley, an accountant who has been investigating Ray's property company. When it becomes obvious that Eric is collecting evidence against Ray, Sean is offered a bonus... but only if he successfully manages to 'dispose' of the accountant.
Stuart Gordon is certainly no stranger to the gore having directed 80s splatter-fest Reanimator, but with King of the Ants, the horror is less to do with schlock and more to do with shock. The murder scene is savage beyond words and those of a sensitive disposition are advised to stay well away. This raw violence continues throughout the movie, making it a thoroughly gruelling experience.
Things really get interesting when Ray refuses to pay Sean for his heinous deed. Sean threatens to expose Ray and his goons, and ends up wishing he had stuck to painting. Ray's men submit Sean to days of mental and physical torture during which Sean is beaten repeatedly round the head with golf clubs. Sean eventually escapes and exacts revenge on his tormentors.
When both sets of protagonists are equally vile examples of humanity, it is strange to find yourself rooting for Sean when the bloody finale arrives. This is a guy who has destroyed a loving family unit for money, yet we still feel that somehow he has been wronged. This is the brilliance of Gordon's film; it makes the viewer uneasy about identifying with Sean after everything he has done, questioning our own sense of morality.
Watch King of the Ants and see what I mean.