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4.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Kungen kommer remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about eighty minutes and a soft spot for 1930s chaos, Kungen kommer is actually worth your time. It’s perfect for anyone who misses the era of physical comedy where people just ran in and out of rooms for no reason. If you hate theatrical acting or people yelling their lines like they are in a football stadium, you will probably loathe this.
The whole thing is about a group of actors who have to pretend to be the King and his suite. It’s that classic trope where the fakes are more convincing than the real deal. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Awful Truth, but with more Swedish moustaches and way less budget.
Gösta Ekman is the main draw here. He has this way of looking both completely exhausted and incredibly hyper at the same time. His eyes do a lot of the heavy lifting. There is a scene where he’s trying to keep his composure while everything is falling apart, and you can see him physically vibrating.
The way he wears a uniform is funny on its own. It looks like it’s wearing him. Most of the other actors seem to be competing for who can be the loudest. It’s 1936, so the microphones probably weren't great, but they didn't need to be with this cast. They shout everything. It's great.
Thor Modéen shows up too. He’s basically a human cartoon. Every time he is on screen, the energy shifts into something even more ridiculous. He has a face that was built for comedy, like it’s made of rubber. I found myself just waiting for him to walk back into the frame.
The plot is honestly a bit of a mess. It moves so fast that if you look away to check your phone, you might forget who is supposed to be who. There is a lot of talk about the "royal suite" and who belongs where. I stopped trying to track the logic about halfway through. It’s better if you just let the noise wash over you.
Some of the sets look like they were built five minutes before they started filming. You can almost see the wood grain through the "marble" paint. It gives the movie a very honest feeling. Like they knew it was a silly movie and didn't try to hide it behind fancy tricks.
There’s this one scene in a dining hall where the clinking of the silverware is almost louder than the talking. It’s a very specific sound that only old movies have. It made me want a glass of wine and some crackers. Oddly specific? Maybe. But that's the vibe.
The editing is... let's call it "creative." Sometimes a scene just ends. Like, the director got bored and moved on to the next room. It’s not smooth like No Limit. It’s jumpy. I kind of liked it, though. It felt like a real play that was being captured on the fly.
The music is also incredibly insistent. It wants you to know that something funny is happening. Even when nothing funny is actually happening. It’s like a laugh track but with trumpets.
I noticed a guy in the background of one of the crowd scenes who looked genuinely confused. He wasn't acting. He just looked like he wandered onto the set looking for the bathroom. I watched him for three minutes and ignored the main characters entirely. He was the most relatable part of the film.
"Being a king is easy. Staying a king while your pants are falling down is the hard part."
I’m pretty sure that wasn't a real line, but it should have been. That’s the spirit of the whole movie. It’s about the performance of power and how easily it can be faked by a bunch of theater nerds. It’s not deep, but it’s fun.
If you're looking for a masterpiece, go watch Enthusiasm or something. This isn't that. This is a movie you watch on a rainy Tuesday when you want to see people fall over and make funny faces. It’s a bit like The Knockout in terms of its simple goals.
The women in the cast, like Birgit Tengroth and Tollie Zellman, are mostly there to react to the men being idiots. It’s very much a product of its time in that way. But Tollie Zellman has this one look she gives—a sort of side-eye—that is funnier than half the dialogue in the script. She knows exactly what kind of movie she is in.
The ending is exactly what you think it will be. There are no big twists. No one is going to have their mind blown. It just sort of... stops. Everyone is happy, the ruse is over, and the credits roll. It’s honest work.
Overall, I’m glad I watched it. It’s a nice reminder that movies used to be allowed to just be silly. No message. No "exploration of the human condition." Just a bunch of Swedes pretending to be fancy. It’s a 7/10 for me, mostly for the nostalgia and the sheer noise of it all. Bring snacks.
If you have a chance to see a restored version, do it. The graininess of the old prints adds a certain charm, but seeing those 1930s sets in clear detail would be a trip. It’s a weird little piece of history that doesn't take itself seriously at all. And honestly? We need more of that.
IMDb —
1932
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