Movieo
Poster for King of Devil's Island

King of Devil's Island

2010 · 1h 57m · Not Rated Action, Drama
Directed by Marius Holst

Seen it?

Overview

Norwegian winter, 1915. On the island Bastøy, outside Oslo, a group of young boys aged 11 to 18, are held in an institution for delinquent youth, notorious for its sadistic regime. One day a new boy, Erling, arrives, determined to escape from the island. After a tragic incident, he ends up leading the boys in a violent uprising. When the boys manage to take over the island, 150 soldiers are sent in to restore order.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
94%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Rather one-note in its bleakness, and doesn't have a vast amount to say beyond 'reform school sucks'.

Tom Huddleston, Time Out
Fresh

Possibly no one else does "grim" with as much unsparing enthusiasm as the Scandinavians.

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Fresh

Skarsgard is riveting throughout as a man whose high morality is steeped in hypocrisy and whose mask of civility easily slips, when challenged, to reveal the monster beneath.

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star
Fresh

[An] austere and occasionally stirring yarn.

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
Fresh

The film plays well, and is involving, but in one form or another, this is a story often told.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

Talk about the film with other members

More films