Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for King of the Hill

King of the Hill

Seen it?

1993 | 103 min | Drama, History

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for history buffs. If you loved Gangs of New York, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 43 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Based on the Depression-era bildungsroman memoir of writer A. E. Hotchner, the film follows the story of a boy struggling to survive on his own in a hotel in St. Louis after his mother is committed to a sanatorium with tuberculosis. His father, a German immigrant and traveling salesman working for the Hamilton Watch Company, is off on long trips from which the boy cannot be certain he will return.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.8 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $1 million worldwide on a $8 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 133K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

  • Jesse BradfordAaron Kurlander
  • Jeroen KrabbéMr. Kurlander
  • Lisa EichhornMrs. Kurlander
  • Karen AllenMiss Mathey
  • Spalding GrayMr. Mungo
  • Elizabeth McGovernLydia
  • Cameron BoydSullivan
  • Adrien BrodyLester
  • Joe ChrestBen
  • John McConnellPatrolman Burns