King of Devil's Island
Seen it?2010 | 117 min | Drama, Thriller, Crime, Action
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. 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 crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved Boy A or Lord of the Flies, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 57 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Norwegian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Norwegian winter, 1915. On the island Bastøy, outside Oslo, a group of young boys aged 11 to 18, are held in an institution for delinquent youth, notorious for its sadistic regime. One day a new boy, Erling, arrives, determined to escape from the island. After a tragic incident, he ends up leading the boys in a violent uprising. When the boys manage to take over the island, 150 soldiers are sent in to restore order.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
94% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
2 wins and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 7K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Marius Holst
- Stellan SkarsgårdBestyrer Håkon
- Benjamin HelstadErling / C-19
- Kristoffer JonerHusfar Bråthen
- Trond NilssenOlav / C-1
- Morten LøvstadØystein
- Daniel BergJohan
- Odin Gineson BrøderudAxel
- Magnar BottenLillegutt
- Magnus LangleteIvar / C-5
- MarkusBrustad