| King Ivory | |
|---|---|
 German theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Swab |
| Written by | John Swab |
| Produced by | Jeremy M. Rosen |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Will Stone |
| Edited by | Andrew Aaronson |
Production company | Roxwell Films |
| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 129 minutes [1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
King Ivory is a 2024 American action thriller film written and directed by John Swab. The film premiered at the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival.
 | This article needs a plot summary.(July 2025) |
The film was shot in the Tulsa area during the summer of 2023. [2] The production was made on a budget of under $7.5 million. [3] Swab described the film as 'by far the most personal movie' he made. [3]
The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, in the "Orizzonti Extra" sidebar. [3] In March 2025, it was reported that the film would get a theatrical release in the United States later in the year, by Saban Films and Roadside Attractions. [4]
The Hollywood Reporter's film critic Jordan Mintzer praised the film, describing it as 'effective', 'hard-nosed' and 'bove your average drug thriller', and noted 'its uncompromisingly bleak view of fentanyl's damaging hold on the U.S. is not necessarily a crowd-pleaser, but it well deserves a look'. [1] Rodrigo Perez from The Playlist paired it to Steven Soderbergh's Traffic , and described the film as 'intense and engaging' and 'a terrific surprise'. [5]
Screen International's Tim Grierson criticized the film, noting that while 'Swab creates a sense of constant propulsion [... ] and certainly the testosterone-fueled shootouts are muscular in their execution', 'the high-octane King Ivory is intense without being insightful' and it 'rarely surprises'. [6]
