Watch King Cobra

"King Cobra" is a 2016 independent film that tells the gritty true story of the rise and fall of gay porn superstar Brent Corrigan (aka Sean Paul Lockhart). The movie is directed by Justin Kelly and stars Garrett Clayton as Corrigan, Christian Slater as porn studio owner Stephen (Harv) Harvey, and Molly Ringwald as Harvey's former lover and business partner.

The film opens with a young Brent Corrigan trying to break into the gay porn industry. He is picked up by Harvey, who sees a lot of potential in the fresh-faced and innocent-looking newcomer. Harvey offers to make Corrigan a star, but at a price. The young man agrees to the terms, and soon he finds himself rocketing to fame under the stage name Brent Corrigan. However, as he becomes more popular and successful, Corrigan begins to chafe under Harvey's control. He starts to demand more money and creative control, which Harvey is unwilling to give.

Meanwhile, a rival studio owner named Joe (played by James Franco) catches wind of Corrigan's success and wants to sign him to his own studio. Harvey sees this as a major threat and becomes obsessed with keeping Corrigan under his thumb. Corrigan, for his part, starts to rebel against Harvey and the porn industry in general. He becomes bitter and disillusioned, and eventually decides to break his contract with Harvey and leave the industry.

This sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads to tragedy. As Harvey becomes more desperate to keep Corrigan from leaving, he enlists the help of two low-level employees (played by Keegan Allen and James Kelley) to intimidate and harass his star performer. The situation spirals out of control, and Harvey finds himself facing serious criminal charges.

"King Cobra" is a dark and intense film that doesn't pull any punches. The performances by the cast are all excellent, with Garrett Clayton delivering a particularly nuanced portrayal of Corrigan's complicated character. Christian Slater is also noteworthy as the seedy and manipulative Harvey, who is equal parts charming and terrifying. Molly Ringwald is somewhat underutilized in her role as Harvey's ex-lover and business partner, but she still manages to make an impression.

One of the film's strengths is its unflinching portrayal of the gay porn industry. The movie doesn't shy away from showing the seedy and exploitative side of the business, as well as the toll it takes on the performers involved. At the same time, it also shows the complex relationships that can develop between people in the industry, and the sense of community that can exist despite the often cutthroat nature of the business.

Overall, "King Cobra" is a well-made and compelling film that tells an important story about the dark side of the porn industry. It may not be for everyone due to its graphic content and intense subject matter, but for those who can handle it, it is definitely worth watching.

King Cobra is a 2016 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 32 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 48.