The King of the Mountain (film)
The King of the Mountain (El rey de la montaña) (also released as King of the Hill) is a 2007 Spanish thriller film directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego. The film stars Argentine actor Leonardo Sbaraglia and Spanish actress María Valverde.
| El rey de la montaña | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Gonzalo López-Gallego |
| Produced by | Juanma Arance Álvaro Augustín Miguel Bardem Juan Pita |
| Written by | Javier Gullón |
| Starring | Leonardo Sbaraglia María Valverde Thomas Riordan |
| Music by | David Crespo |
| Cinematography | José David Montero |
| Edited by | Gonzalo López-Gallego |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Coach14 |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
Plot
Quim is driving through an isolated rural area and arrives at a petrol station where it is revealed he is trying to get in contact with a woman named Sofia. Whilst on the phone he spots a woman shoplifting and meets her in the bathroom where they have sex and she steals his wallet. In an attempt to follow her to recover his belongings his car is shot at, and, when he pulls over to inspect the damage, a man with a rifle and dog appears and shoots him in the leg. He manages to get back into his car but he only gets so far until he discovers the road is blocked by a bulldozer and fallen tree. Leaving the car in an attempt to get a signal for his phone to call for help he hears a rumbling back at the road where he left his car and promptly drives back the way he came, only to run over his apparent pursuer.
Shortly after his car breaks down and he leaves for the woods where he meets Bea, the woman from the petrol station, who seems to be lost as well and denies having stolen Quim's wallet. One of her car tires has suffered a puncture which Quim reveals was actually caused by a gunshot. They rush to repair the tire and Quim suddenly becomes panicked and they drive off. They drive past Quim's car and see that it has been severely vandalised. The two continue driving until they come across an abandoned roadside café. After they break in and search for supplies they are met by a pair of policemen who are highly suspicious and violently subdue and question them. They do not believe Quim but once he reveals he has run one of the attackers over they agree to take them back to the body to check on his story. After they reach the body Quim is handcuffed to the car and the police investigate the body. The two police officers are fired upon and seemingly killed. After a tense moment hiding in the car Bea manages to leave and find a key to unlock Quim's handcuffs. They leave and run through the forest but one of the police officers has survived with a minor gunshot wound to the shoulder. He is still highly suspicious of the two thinking that they had something to do with the snipers. The trio run away through the forest, but upon reaching a particularly hazardous river they are shot at once again and the other police officer is killed soon after.
Quim and Bea take shelter for the night, with Quim making attempts to find out about Bea but she brushes him off, before being hunted once again in the morning by their pursuers. Bea takes a bullet to her shoulder and they both end up trapped in a large pit unable to climb out. With Bea's help Quim manages to get out but as he looks for a stick to help her he hears barking, panics and runs. After getting a fair distance away he changes his mind and begins to run back but before he gets back he hears a gunshot. As they make their way up a gulley and Quim, their pursuers drawing closer, chooses to abandon her to her fate. With Bea weeping and trapped in the gulley the hunters are finally revealed to be a pair of young boys who proceed to murder her. They are casual about it, with one remarking at how her blood splattered his companion's face and taking a picture of the body with a mobile phone. The film then switches to the viewpoint of the hunters as they track Quim through the forest. Quim flees alone, his hunters reveling in the sport. Eventually they come across a barn and stop for a break. When one of the boys starts adding points for a deer he had killed earlier the other becomes annoyed and accuses him of changing the rules to suit himself. They have an argument and it is revealed they are brothers, during this Quim manages to lock them in the barn and escape. Quim escapes to an abandoned village, the two brothers catch up with him and a tense game of cat-and-mouse ensues, but he manages to ambush and kill one of the boys by hiding in a pool of water, showing deep regret afterwards. The other brother approaches Quim, weeping and angry after his brothers death, and thrusts his gun at him, but Quim embraces him, only to have the boy struggle free and shoot himself off-camera. Quim weeps by the brother's bodies, thrusting his hands to the heavens as though in prayer, with the boy's dog that had allowed them to track Quim and his companions appearing soon afterwards and Quim putting a hand wearily to his head before the credits roll.
Cast
- Leonardo Sbaraglia as Quim
- María Valverde as Bea
- Thomas Riordan as Hermano Menor
- Andrés Juste as Hermano Mayor
- Pablo Menasanch as Guardia Joven
- Francisco Olmo as Guardia Mayor
- Manuel Sánchez Ramos as Empleado Gasolinera
- Michael De La Torre as Quim - English Language Dubbing
Release
The film had its North America premiere on 8 September 2007 as part of the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was released as King of the Hill by the Weinstein Company.[1]