A Review of ‘King Saud’: Relentless scheming and murder makes for an often fascinating yarn
Two L.A. detectives investigate a double murder while distrusting each other’s motives and uncovering shocking truths.
‘King Saud’: Relentless scheming and murder make for an often fascinating yarn
Cast: Kate Orsini, Mark Toma, Michael Saad, Rachel Alig, Michael Monks, Adoni Maropis, Richard Tanner, Said Faraj, Hassan Mahmoud, Gustavo Carr, Clemmie Dugdale, Maries Bauer Bell, David Patrick Green, Carolyn Lawson, Hiram A. Murray, Jack Carlisle, Allen Perada, Mila Harris, David Nieker, Jenny Blendermann, Dominic Pace, Heather Albert, Danny Collins
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Mark Toma
Duration: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
Two L.A. detectives investigate a double murder while distrusting each other’s motives and uncovering shocking truths.
Review:
The crime drama/mystery genre gets a pretty robust shot in the arm with this effective new release. King Saud is perhaps in the same vein as Film Noir classics with a fair amount of intrigue, conspiracy and morbid surprises. A convoluted plot is complemented by wily characters and frequently sharp dialogue. There is even a dose of eroticism thrown in for good measure. However, a few unconvincing twists, some occasional shoddy acting and recurring talkiness denies the film classic status. Still, the multi-layered and gripping story along with overarching themes of integrity, deception, conscience and betrayal make the movie hard to turn away from.
In Los Angeles, a Saudi prince and a prostitute whom he is having sex with are shot and decapitated. Veteran Detective Wolfe (Mark Toma) and his newly-assigned lady partner Detective Lynch (Kate Orsini) investigate the case. They first question the prince’s assistant – the classy and articulate Al Mahir (Michael Saad) – who claims to be unaware of the possible culprit. Wolfe’s superior Griffin (Michael Monks) and FBI Agent Kapinski (David Patrick Green) are eager that the crime be solved expeditiously and quietly to avoid it becoming an embarrassing international incident. Meanwhile, Wolfe is resentful that Lynch has replaced his regular partner and suspects her ulterior motives, especially concerning the infamous 26th Precinct.
The detective duo visits the whorehouse that the murdered prostitute came from, where the Madam Carlucci has a tense and unhelpful exchange with Wolfe. This, while two women in Carlucci’s employ mention the prince’s brother (and local resident) Usef (Adoni Maropis) as being a desirable man. Then a flashback reveals that Jackson (Hiram A. Murray) - a protégé of Wolfe’s – was bumped off by an inside job owing to his likeliness to divulge incriminating information about fellow policemen. Does Wolfe trust Lynch enough to share this news with her? Then, on the pair’s follow-up trip to the late prince’s house, Al Mahir professes his innocence and suggests that a resentful Saudi native and radical Islamist could be behind the killings.
The tension between Wolfe and Lynch appears to thaw. However, on the sly, she reports to her own LAPD boss Moskovitz (Richard Tanner) in what appears to be a sting operation of sorts. Meanwhile, Wolfe and her attempt to confront Usef over the murder of his brother leads to a violent encounter, which in turn causes a flustered Agent Kapinski to rebuke Wolfe. What’s more, Kapinski claims the case is as good as solved after a mysterious party enters the frame. But are the murders a religious-based duty or a crime of passion? The plot continues to thicken with Wolfe showing his true colours, the needle of suspicion turning to Usef and Co., and a violent face-off involving “dirty cops” and Carlucci. By the conclusion, more blood is shed, new evidence is erased, let-offs are assured and a surprise reconciliation takes place.
Writer-director Mark Toma does a notable job at penning a thoughtful screenplay. However, his translation of script to screen could have been a tad more engaging. For instance, although Saad’s lines are pregnant with poetry and profundity and are well-delivered by the actor, they get verbose and impede the pace of the film. Also, Toma’s performance in the main role lacks consistency of impact, although the turns by Orsini and Alig compensate to a degree. The background music often features a sexy trumpet, perhaps an homage to Film Noir, while at times, movie buffs might be reminded of Basic Instinct (1992) and The Departed (2006). If you want close to two hours of well-conceived gore and guts, imbued in the spectre of mystery, pay a visit to King Saud.
