June 2, 2025

🎬 Movie Review: King Cobra (2016) – Fame. Flesh. Fatal Obsession.
Starring James Franco, Garrett Clayton, Christian Slater, Keegan Allen
Directed by Justin Kelly

“In the world of desire, someone always pays the price.”

King Cobra slithers through the underbelly of the adult film industry with glossy visuals, haunting tension, and performances that leave teeth marks. Based loosely on real events, this dramatized descent into ambition, manipulation, and murder delivers far more than tabloid thrills — it’s a stylish cautionary tale wrapped in silk and shadows.

Garrett Clayton gives a breakout performance as Brent Corrigan, a young, wide-eyed dreamer drawn into the world of online fame and fast money. But the charm fades fast as the lines between mentorship and exploitation begin to blur. His transformation — from innocent to icon to survivor — is slow-burning and emotionally resonant.

James Franco is electric as Joe Kerekes, one half of a volatile, obsessive duo whose hunger for power and profit ignites a tragic spiral. Franco struts and simmers with menace and seduction, keeping you guessing whether he’s about to kiss or kill. Keegan Allen, as his partner Harlow, is all raw nerves and dangerous devotion — unpredictable and tragic.

Christian Slater plays Stephen, the well-meaning but morally compromised producer who discovers Brent. His performance adds nuance to the idea of “protection” in a predatory world — is he saving Brent or controlling him?

The film’s tension builds with a slow, almost voyeuristic precision. Neon-lit hotel rooms, quiet backroom contracts, and mounting jealousy create a pressure cooker ready to explode — and when it does, it’s brutal, quick, and disturbingly quiet.

Final Verdict:
King Cobra is not your average true-crime tale. It’s a seductive, savage look at the price of fame, the toxicity of obsession, and the blurred ethics of desire and control.
Glamorous on the surface. Dangerous underneath. Just like the industry it exposes.