King Saud

Written and directed by Mark Toma

Starring Mark Toma, Kate Orsini, Mik Saad, Rachel Alig, and Michael Monks

Synopsis:King Saud is a Hollywood murder mystery about high end prostitution and the roots of Middle East terrorism. Two LA detectives investigate the murder of a Saudi prince under suspicious circumstances.

King Saud feels like a film from yesteryear while distinctly being a film from now. The film deals with issues such as prostitution (including underage prostitution), terrorism, and police corruption through a protagonist, Detective Wolfe, who speaks his mind, even if his views on things are antiquated and politically incorrect. I feel like King Saud was a film that took balls to make, as it is a film that could definitely ruffle some feathers.

The story is pretty interesting, starting with the brutal murder of a Saudi Prince and the prostitute he was with, which leads to Detective Wolfe (played wonderfully by director Mark Toma) and his new partner he doesn’t want, Detective Lynch (played fiercely by Kate Osini), investigating the case.

Over the course of the film they will deal with over the top gay middle easter butlers, overzealous bodyguards, and corrupt cops who hinder their investigation at every turn. The film takes lots of twists and turns until it converges into its action packed and shocking ending.

I really liked the characters in this film. Agent Wolfe is kinda a chauvinist pig, but he’s also like your politically incorrect hilarious uncle, you can’t help but love the guy. Detective Lynch is strong and determined and does what it takes to bring down the corrupt police in the department. Mike Saad’s Al Mahir, the previously mentioned butler, is absolutely hilarious and has some of the film’s best dialogue, including a line about being a “master baiter”. His interaction with Detective Wolfe, including when he kinda flirts with him to make him uncomfortable, are some of the most entertaining moments in the film.

King Saud is a gritty twist filled crime drama with interesting characters, great performances and more than its fair share of excellent dialogue.

Score: 4.5 out of 5.