King Of The Hill (DVD)

This simple but effective thriller from Spanish director, Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, offers a fresh spin on a familiar premise.

In typical fashion, a city-dweller, Quim (Sbaraglia), finds himself driving through an isolated rural area in which he eventually becomes lost. As he tries to get his bearings and find a way out of the dense woods, he is shot at by an unseen presence from the hills. While frantically trying to escape the mysterious hunter, Quim meets a fellow victim in the form of the beautiful Bea (Valverde), who also claims to be lost. Together they must find a way to escape their pursuer and find a way back home.

Though a traditional urban vs. rural tale on the surface, which recalls the likes of Deliverance, Straw Dogs, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and all manner of ‘urbanoia’ classics, King Of The Hill differentiates itself with a keen sense of Hitchcock-style suspense, and adds both intrigue and terror to the proceedings with its use of the unseen killer. The Spanish northern hills provide an eerie and effective backdrop for the white-knuckle chase, and the gritty camerawork (shot on 16mm) adds to the film’s frantic, disorientating style.

Offering a surprise twist during the final act (and a touch of chilling social commentary), King Of The Hill is a skilfully crafted thriller that gets the job done in a lean 84-minutes and manages to keep the blood pumping for the duration.

The special features include short interviews with the director and the two stars, while the ‘behind the scenes’ footage offers some rather dull on-set material.

Overall Verdict: A taught thriller with a twist.

Special Features:
Interview With Director
Interview With Maria Valverde
Interview With Leonardo Sbaraglia
‘Behind The Scenes’ Footage
Trailer

Reviewer: Lee Griffiths