Review: King of the Ants (2003)

King of the Ants could end up being a seminal moment in horror filmdom. I honestly believe that. The only thing holding it back from such acclaim and eventual copycatdom is that not too many people have seen this one. Maybe just Stuart Gordon fans. Or George Wendt fans. (that was a joke).

What we have is the loss of innocence portrayed through a "senseless" killing, and the subsequent events that turn an "average joe" into a ruthless, no-concience killer. The subsequent events part is the ridiculously, not-quite-over-the-top violence part of the flick, and it is handled superbly by Gordon and company, hampered as they were with a very fast schedule and no money.

Kudos go to co-star George Wendt for optioning the rights to Higson's novel, and having him write the screenplay once he got Gordon involved. Also kudos to David Michael Latt, the king of The Asylum, for taking on the project after everyone else in the world passed.

There's so many little subtleties and themes in this flick that I would like to discuss, but I'm not one for spoilers. Besides, you don't need me to spoonfeed you the film. Suffice it to say, you're going to be left thinking by this one. You'll have been entertained, but as with all great cinema, you'll be trying to figure out what it all means.

The best film I've seen in a long time. Honestly.