King Car Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

King Car Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 21, 2022

“King Car” is a Brazilian production looking to combine elements of a horror film with social commentary concerning many issues facing the country, including class divide. It’s co-written and directed by Renata Pinherio, who strives to make an artful picture filled with displays of shock value and general weirdness, which includes scenes of a female character having sex with a car. If you thought “Titane” was the only movie interested in the carnal cravings of automobiles, you’d be wrong, but Julie Ducournau’s feature was something to behold, with a level of insanity that invited a deeper inspection of artistry. “King Car” is mostly a mess of ideas, with Pinherio too caught up in the madness she’s creating with this riff on Stephen King’s “Christine,” unable to form a story out of the screenplay’s borderline random assortment of images and incidents.

Born inside of his father’s cab, Uno (Luciano Pedro Jr.) was gifted an ability to communicate with cars. However, after his mother’s death via a car accident, Uno has turned his attention to matters of agriculture, joining classmate Amora (Clara Pinherio) as they work to save nature. When the local government declares a ban on old cars, the cab company is threatened, forcing Uno and his crazy Uncle Ze (Matheus Nachtergaele, who hams it up in full) to mastermind an overhaul, creating the King’s Car, giving the newly designed cab an electronic voice and a chance to influence a local revolution against humans.

A car with consciousness is the idea driving the screenplay, with Uno capable of understanding the cab’s thoughts. He’s empowered to save his family business with a redesign of the car, inadvertently creating a monster of sorts, which permits Pinheiro time to tinker with genre elements and indulge her imagination for the bizarre. This includes pole-dancing Uncle Ze, who undergoes a kind of de-evolution, returning him to a primate state as he gets closer to the cab. And King’s Car isn’t shy about sex, having its way with a female. It’s all so strange, and there’s a sense of purpose to the endeavor, which touches on environmental, social, and political concerns, but the writing isn’t concentrated enough to pull together a cohesive understanding of Pinheiro’s ideas.

King Car Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "King Car" does well with fine detail, picking up on facial particulars and environmental exploration. Metallic views are textured, and distances are dimensional. Colors support lighting challenges, with cooler blues and reds, while disco hues are brighter, along with outdoor events. Greenery is distinct. Delineation is acceptable. Compression issues are common, especially during evening encounters and hazy happenings, with banding dominant.

King Car Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix handles dialogue exchanges well, offering a clear understanding of human interactions and the more metallic voices of the cars. Scoring and soundtrack selections support with crisp synth and electropop beats, adding some heft to the low-end. Atmospherics deal with community bustle, nature visits, and room tone, and surrounds offer some separation effects along the way to engage the listener.

King Car Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind-the-Scenes Clips (5:11, HD) provide a look at the production in motion, highlight on-set camaraderie, transportation, and shot construction.

• Deleted Scenes (3:36, HD) offer two excised moments from "King Car."

• "Super Barroco" (16:56, SD) is a 2008 short film by Renata Pinherio.

• Still Gallery #1 (47 pictures) collects costume and production design images.

• Still Gallery #2 (98 pictures) collects BTS snaps.

• And a Trailer (1:53, HD) is included.

King Car Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"King Car" means to build to a chaotic conclusion, where a full reveal of threat is presented and characters either come to their senses or go deeper into submission. And yet, the movie doesn't find its way to a satisfying conclusion, working too hard to emphasize oddity instead of laboring to give it all a more meaningful presence in the endeavor. "King Car" has nice technical achievements, including the central monster car design, and it promises a mysterious escalation into madness. However, clarity doesn't arrive, leaving the viewing experience underwhelming, especially when the screenplay contains so many exotic, demonic ideas.