Movie Review: ‘King Saud’ – Murder, Mystery, Chaos, Sex and everything else in between.

Detective films have an enduring appeal as crime and mystery stories never go out of style, especially for indie filmmakers looking to make their mark. Many would even argue that the genre is the perfect testing ground for emerging talents and ideas. However, as simple as they may seem, detective stories can be deceptively hard to deliver with finesse.

Writer, director and producer Mark Toma steps into this challenging terrain with his second feature project ‘King Saud‘, a mystery thriller that ambitiously intertwines Hollywood glitz, international intrigue, and dark personal struggles. The film follows two LA detectives investigating the murder of a Saudi prince, uncovering a tangled web of high-end prostitution, personal betrayals, and the unsettling intersections of Hollywood’s underbelly with Middle Eastern geopolitics.

Mark Toma also stars in the leading role as Detective Wolfe, an experienced yet deeply flawed officer, who finds himself reluctantly paired with Detective Lynch (played by Kate Orsini). Lynch is an undercover agent with her own secrets, and the friction between the two leads creates a compelling dynamic that drives much of the narrative. As the pair dig deeper into the case, they discover unsettling truths, not just about the murder but also about each other, revealing that their buried secrets might be as deadly as the mystery they are trying to solve.

The first suspect is Mahir (played by Michael Saad), the prince’s enigmatic assistant. Mahir’s composed demeanour and cunning responses make him a fascinating character, and his refusal to cooperate frustrates Wolfe, whose superiors are desperate to resolve the case before it garners international attention. As Wolfe and Lynch pursue leads, including visits to the escort agency connected to the prince’s demise, the mystery unravels into an intricate web of political chaos, radical ideologies, and personal vendettas.

Unfortunately, this is where the film begins to falter. While the premise of ‘King Saud‘ is intriguing, the narrative soon becomes overly convoluted. What starts as a relatively straightforward investigation gets bogged down by an overabundance of subplots, flashbacks, and exposition-heavy dialogue. These elements, while meant to enrich the story and characters, instead weigh down the film, making its 100-minute runtime feel unnecessarily stretched.

The flashbacks, in particular, aim to provide depth to some characters by exploring their motivations and backstories. However, their frequent use disrupts the narrative flow and makes the story harder to follow. Combined with lengthy, dialogue-heavy scenes, the film struggles to maintain its pacing and tension. This surely would leave some viewers fatigued rather than enthralled.

Acting-wise, Mark Toma and Kate Orsini deliver respectable performances. Their chemistry is there but it sometimes feels uneven.

There are also a few moments where their performances appear a bit sloppy and amateurish. And you can only fault this on the lengthy, sometimes dialogue-heavy scenes. The standout performance for me comes from Michael Saad in his role as Al Mahir. He brings a theatrical refinement to his role, presenting the character with a magnetism that makes every scene he’s in compelling. His portrayal elevates the tension, offering a glimpse of what the film might have achieved with more consistent execution across the board.

Visually, ‘King Saud‘ leans into gritty realism to depict the gruesome murders and their aftermath. Besides this, the film also has a very deliberate sensual and erotic appeal to it which is captured through Wolfe and Lynch’s tumultuous relationship. Their steamy trysts, while tastefully shot, feel excessive and sometimes disconnected from the core narrative. It is almost as if Mark Toma deliberately intended to appeal to a specific kind of audience with those scenes as well. But they add little to the story beyond highlighting the characters’ vulnerability and ulterior motives.

‘King Saud‘ is a film brimming with ambition, but it struggles under the weight of its complexity. Mark Toma attempts to weave together themes of personal betrayal, political intrigue, and societal decay, but the execution falls short. The narrative loses focus, and the characters, while promising, don’t always resonate as deeply as they could.

That said, the film does showcase potential with its commendable willingness to tackle bold and provocative themes. I would score it 5/10.

Considering that this is the filmmaker’s second feature, ‘King Saud‘ feels like a stepping stone in his journey toward defining his unique style and voice as a storyteller. Hopefully, he can hone in on this style that he wants to represent him in his subsequent features.