King Ivory
| King Ivory | |
|---|---|
 German theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Swab |
| Written by | John Swab |
| Produced by | Jeremy M. Rosen |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Will Stone |
| Edited by | Andrew Aaronson |
Production company | Roxwell Films |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
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Running time | 129 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
King Ivory is a 2024 American action thriller film written and directed by John Swab. The film premiered at the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival.
Plot
Cast
- James Badge Dale as Layne West
- Ben Foster as George 'Smiley' Greene
- Michael Mando as Ramón Garza
- Rory Cochrane as Beatty
- Ritchie Coster as Mickey Greene
- George Carroll as Ty Grady
- Graham Greene as Holt Lightfeather
- Melissa Leo as Ginger Greene
- Jasper Jones as Jack West
- Nikki Dixon as Frosty
- Sam Quartin as Tess West
- Ben Hall as Cap
- David Barcena as Lago
- Danny Boy O'Connor as Burl Cain
- Isabella Sanchez as Ruby
- Clarissa Cozzoni as Tori
- Orlando Valentino as Nix
Production
The film was shot in the Tulsa area during the summer of 2023.[3] The production was made on a budget of under $7.5 million.[4] Swab described the film as 'by far the most personal movie' he made.[4]
Release
The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, in the "Orizzonti Extra" sidebar.[4] In March 2025, it was reported that the film would get a theatrical release in the United States later in the year, by Saban Films and Roadside Attractions.[1]
Reception
The Hollywood Reporter's film critic Jordan Mintzer praised the film, describing it as "effective", "hard-nosed" and "above your average drug thriller", and noted "its uncompromisingly bleak view of fentanyl's damaging hold on the U.S. is not necessarily a crowd-pleaser, but it well deserves a look".[2] Rodrigo Perez from The Playlist paired it to Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, and described the film as 'intense and engaging' and 'a terrific surprise'.[5]
Screen International's Tim Grierson criticized the film, noting that while 'Swab creates a sense of constant propulsion [... ] and certainly the testosterone-fueled shootouts are muscular in their execution', 'the high-octane King Ivory is intense without being insightful' and it 'rarely surprises'.[6]
References
- ^ a b Ritman, Alex (March 27, 2025). "Opioid Action-Thriller 'King Ivory' Lands U.S. Theatrical Release With Saban and Roadside Attractions (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Mintzer, Jordan (September 3, 2024). "'King Ivory' Review: Drugs, Guns, Cops and Cartels Dominate an Effectively Gritty Fentanyl-Era Thriller Starring Ben Foster". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (July 24, 2024). "WME Independent Launching Domestic Sales On John Swab's Fentanyl Crime Thriller 'King Ivory' Out Of Venice". Deadline. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ a b c Ritman, Alex (September 17, 2024). "'King Ivory' Filmmaking Duo on Their Deeply Personal Venice Hit and Producing Seven Films in Five Years: 'We Hate to Let the Grass Grow'". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Perez, Rodrigo (September 3, 2024). "'King Ivory' Review: James Badge Dale Leads A Searing, 'Traffic'-Esque Drug Cartel Crime Thriller [Venice]". The Playlist. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (September 2, 2024). "'King Ivory': Venice Review". Screen International. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
External links
- King Ivory at IMDb