King of New York

Audience Reviews

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Ron S Apr 13, 2019 Sleaze and shotguns galore. King of New York (1990) is Abel Ferrara's gangster revenge flick with an attempt at film noir style gives an ample amount of nudity and gunfire. Nicholas St. John's script is pretty bare bones, but effective. While cliches rack up in abundance throughout King of New York, the thrills keep coming. I just wish this film had better pacing. The endless slow panning shots feel like eternity without being necessary. If 20 minutes were cut from this film in editing, it would flow better and feel like languid. It's less a slow burn, and more slowly half baked in trying to be like Scarface, The Untouchables, Taxi Driver, or The Godfather. It does not compare to those better films, but I liked King of New York. Unfortunately, though the soundtrack songs are cool and feel very late 1980's to early 1990's, the score is so minimalist that it's hardly present. Most scenes carry on in silence until someone speaks or shoots. It's so strange. The performances are great as Christopher Walken takes things slow and subtle. His drug lord, Frank White, is serious and crazed with a lust for money and carnage. Walken is unsettling like the pale visage of Nosferatu a few gangsters watch in the film. Laurence Fishburne is exhilarating and wild as Jimmy Jump. He's hilarious and intriguing as this fast talking, gun slinging, mobster. He steals every scene he's in really. David Caruso is fairly annoying as a hothead cop. Wesley Snipes is better as a rage filled police officer. Victor Argo is very impressive as the homicide detective Roy. His nuanced performance is a perfect foil for the equally grim and serious Walken. Giancarlo Esposito as Lance and Steve Buscemi as Test Tube also make nice cameo supporting roles. Overall, this is a 1990's movie alright. The clothes, hair, music, and violence all feel of that era. It's a slow, but rewarding crime film. The final 3 gun fights are excellent as is the car chase and finale. See more

Anakin G Oct 20, 2018 A movie I had never heard of before. Depraved, unusual, and quite good. Walken is great as usual. Beautifully filmed and eiree reminding me a bit of Blade Runner. A different type of movie with many later.well known actors. The cops are, in many ways, more corrupt than the bad guys so I never really rooted for the cops. I recommend. See more

Albus R Sep 1, 2018 After completing a lengthy prison sentence, one-time drug kingpin Frank White (Christopher Walken) returns to New York intent on reestablishing his empire and making things as they were before he left. Others have taken over the business during his absence but that clearly isn't going to stop White. While he is gunning down the opposition, he decides he's going to give away the money he'll make to modernize the hospital in his old neighborhood. Drug dealers aren't the only thing he has to worry about however: a group of rogue cops have decided that they are going to take him down... Mark Caro, writing for the Chicago Tribune, gave the movie only 1/2 star. He called King of New York "a film more interested in leaving impressions than spinning a smooth narrative", adding that star Christopher Walken and the movie remain "just out of grasp". "King of New York" is a truly wobbly Abel Ferrara film. He has never been known for his excellence as a director, but he has made a hell of a lot better films than this. Poor direction, poor cinematography (way too many closeups), poor dialogue, poor plot, poor character development and poor acting despite some well known names as Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi and John Turturro in the leads. The film isn´t coherent at all as the film seems to be stitched together without a proper flow and it ends up in a messy piece of film that adds nothing to the genre. I would even call this film amateurish. Trivia: During the film's premiere at the New York Film Festival, many members of the audience including Ferrara's wife walked out of the theater. At the question-and-answer session that Ferrara held after the screening, the first question asked was, "This film is an abomination. Why aren't you giving the proceeds to some drug rehab program?" At a second showing of the film the next day, Laurence Fishburne and Nicholas St. John were booed off the stage. See more

Albus L Apr 10, 2018 Classic. great screenplay and acting. gang warfare vs cops, a dark storyline with twisted elements of humour. a little facetious at points but an overall engaging watch. See more

Abraham W Mar 29, 2018 Feels like something is unexplained in this one. Appreciable noir style/art for a "new age" mob/gang film.

Rey S Sep 6, 2017 Very inconsistent, it has the ability to be up there with the great gangster films, but often loses itself with undeveloped scenes and awkward acting moments. See more

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King of New York

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