KING COBRA

(2016) King Cobra is based on the true story of gay porn star Brent Corrigan, who started life as Sean Lockhart, living on his mom's couch in San Diego with a dream of being a film director one day when he meets photographer/film producer Stephen (Christian Slater) who realizes that the near-ethereal beauty of the young man could make them both a sh*tload of money. Nude photos start the proceedings, but before he can blink Sean - renamed Brent Corrigan by Sean himself - is talked into doing his first film ... and a star is born. Brent Corrigan instantly burns up the internet soon becoming the #1 attraction in the business - a fact not lost on a rival gay porn filmmaker, the mentally unstable control freak Joe (James Franco), and his own boyfriend/boy-toy protegee star Harlow (Keegan Allen). a kid with a great body and big appendage but the mentality of a child with his own dark secrets to bear. When Brent realizes how much Stephen is making off him while he gets chump change, his break from the producer causes a chain of events that end in nothing short of murder - not to mention what was, surprisingly, a watchable, enjoyable film! Definitely low budget, I wondered what might draw actors like Slater and Franco to such a project - even Molly Ringwald, playing Slater's unsuspecting sister (I LOVE YOU, MOLLY!) - prior to viewing, but watching the film I get it entirely. King Cobra, even without big dollars behind it, is a legitimately entertaining and fun expose. Sordid and decadent, yes, but here that's a great thing because the cast, writing, and writer/director Justin Kelly have perfectly captured the raw sexual edge and overall seediness of the business on-screen; the film purports to be nothing more than what it is, and does a brilliant job of portraying that world in all its "glory". I can totally see what would draw Slater and Franco - even Keegan - to the controversial subject matter/true story, and though still raw in spots the entire production is held together beautifully by Garrett Clayton as porn star-who-would-be-king Brent Corrigan himself. It should be illegal to be as good-looking as Clayton is, and fortunately for the film he embraces the role of Brent with abandon, giving his porn star layers that suggest maybe Sean - pre-Brent - wasn't so innocent a boy as the opening moments of the film would imply, either. Impressive and a nicely-packaged (shut up, yes of course I meant to do that) surprise. (not rated)  7.5/10 stars