A money-loving hit-man is hired by the mob to take out a powerful attorney who is closing in on them. After successfully completing the job, the mob turns their back on him... choosing to prefer him dead over paid. Things take an unusual twist when the hit-man must rely on the attorney's wife to help him recover.
This is a hard film to categorize. It has been called "horror" or at least explores "horror themes", but the connection is minimal. Certainly, the director is Stuart Gordon, one of my horror idols. And there is some imagery that is violent and supernaturally disturbing (including a demon woman with male genitalia). But it's more a story of crime, murder and revenge... not necessarily in the horror vein. So, if you're looking for a Gordon horror film, look for "Castle Freak" or another lesser-known film, as this may not satisfy your urges.
Other reviews have called "King of the Ants" one of the weaker films in Gordon's career, horror or otherwise. I would tend to agree with this assessment. While the film is enjoyable, the story itself is nothing particularly novel and the deeper themes don't manage to make it very deep -- the "ant" theme, for example, is rather forced in my opinion. George Wendt, who plays the mob boss, gives a strong performance, but it's lost in such a mediocre movie. Sorry, George, I love your work, but this isn't going to help plump your resume or detach you from "Cheers" (though it's far better than the colossal dump that "Bryan Loves You" was).
I do not regret watching this film or regret owning it. Upon my second viewing, should one occur, I will check out the commentary and special features, to get a fuller picture of the director's vision. There may be something I missed here. There's something mythological about a killer being aided by his victim's family, though it escapes me at the moment what the exact reference is. (Trained in classical Greek thought and I come up blank... thanks, college.) Stuart Gordon fans, check this out. All others, keep moving. Of the films I've seen this year -- and I see many -- this doesn't make the top ten percent by any means. You'd be better off watching pretty much any other Stuart Gordon creation, including his newest (as of this writing) "Stuck" or any of the classics. Heck, you could watch "re-Animator" for the hundredth time.
This is a hard film to categorize. It has been called "horror" or at least explores "horror themes", but the connection is minimal. Certainly, the director is Stuart Gordon, one of my horror idols. And there is some imagery that is violent and supernaturally disturbing (including a demon woman with male genitalia). But it's more a story of crime, murder and revenge... not necessarily in the horror vein. So, if you're looking for a Gordon horror film, look for "Castle Freak" or another lesser-known film, as this may not satisfy your urges.
Other reviews have called "King of the Ants" one of the weaker films in Gordon's career, horror or otherwise. I would tend to agree with this assessment. While the film is enjoyable, the story itself is nothing particularly novel and the deeper themes don't manage to make it very deep -- the "ant" theme, for example, is rather forced in my opinion. George Wendt, who plays the mob boss, gives a strong performance, but it's lost in such a mediocre movie. Sorry, George, I love your work, but this isn't going to help plump your resume or detach you from "Cheers" (though it's far better than the colossal dump that "Bryan Loves You" was).
I do not regret watching this film or regret owning it. Upon my second viewing, should one occur, I will check out the commentary and special features, to get a fuller picture of the director's vision. There may be something I missed here. There's something mythological about a killer being aided by his victim's family, though it escapes me at the moment what the exact reference is. (Trained in classical Greek thought and I come up blank... thanks, college.) Stuart Gordon fans, check this out. All others, keep moving. Of the films I've seen this year -- and I see many -- this doesn't make the top ten percent by any means. You'd be better off watching pretty much any other Stuart Gordon creation, including his newest (as of this writing) "Stuck" or any of the classics. Heck, you could watch "re-Animator" for the hundredth time.