King Ivory

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2:26

King Ivory

R

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2h 10m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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65%

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17 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

From civilians to criminals to addicts to law enforcement, and everyone in between, all walks of life intersect in this thriller about the epidemic that is fentanyl; street name: King Ivory. It is business as usual for Tulsa drug cop, Layne West (James Badge Dale), battling the local criminal element, which hits too close to home when his son, Jack (Jasper Jones), gets hooked on fentanyl. In conjunction with his partner, Ty (George Carroll), and FBI counterpart, Beatty (Rory Cochrane), West makes it his mission in life to take down those responsible, including the Mexican cartel's local shot-caller, Ramón Garza (Michael Mando), Indian Brotherhood War Chief, Holt Lightfeather (Graham Greene), who controls state-wide trafficking while serving life inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. "Big Mac," and the local Irish Mob family outfit, led by George "Smiley" Greene (Ben Foster), along with his mother, Ginger (Melissa Leo), and uncle, Mickey (Ritchie Coster). As Holt educates West during a prison visit, "The cartels want your kids, the next generation, who want what is new, and fentanyl is new."

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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

It’s flat, it’s grey, and it only satisfies if you want a sad, familiar mess to look down on.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 14, 2025

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Tim Grierson

Screen International

This action-thriller is too easily in thrall to its tough-guy posturing, resulting in a picture that incorrectly believes it’s delivering bitter truths.

Sep 16, 2024

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Jordan Mintzer

The Hollywood Reporter

It’s definitely an over-the-top finale, and not everything ultimately seems real in King Ivory. But what makes Swab’s latest rise above your average drug thriller is how he tries to make each moment feel like it’s been drawn from a certain reality.

Sep 10, 2024

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Joel Copling

Spectrum Culture

The complex, ambitious stories hinted at in King Ivory eventually lose focus as John Swab’s real interest, which has to do with its simpler genre aspirations, gets in the way.

Nov 17, 2025

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Chris Bumbray

JoBlo's Movie Network

The best low-key crime drama since Shot Caller.

Nov 16, 2025

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Alan French

Sunshine State Cineplex

King Ivory taps into the same kinds of narratives that made Traffic so effective in 2000. While there is not as much complexity in this story as in Soderbergh’s iconic film, the anxiety-laden visuals remain very effective.

Rated: 7/10

Nov 14, 2025

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Justin G

Great movie! Very relevant to our times, especially if you have high school aged kids!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

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Mr Hollywood

Standard drug dealers, cops and the people in between story line. Was good enough. Spoke some facts overall that makes you think as well. Worth a watch

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

Full Review

christopher b

Great story. Great performances all around but especially from Ben Foster and Melissa Leo.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

Full Review

Facebook U

Strong acting portrayal and intriguing storylines carry the film but King Ivory seems to be on a train to nowhere. The sad reality of the U.S never ending struggle with drug abuse is insatiably depressing. Agent West’s visit to Lightfoot to exclaim his valor to fight the drug epidemic was quickly shot down with the notion that it’s never going to end well. “The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike” Biblical borrowed but poignantly accurate. King Ivory has all of the making of worthy must see in theaters that ends abruptly with no resolution.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/16/25

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Diana Byars

Good story, good acting! Lago was the best actor!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/25

Full Review

Anonymous

I have to be honest with my wife I think I would like it more if she was a girl

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/25

Full Review

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John Swab

Director

Rory Cochrane

Actor

James Badge Dale

Actor

Ben Foster

Actor

Melissa Leo

Actor

Graham Greene

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King Ivory: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

From civilians to criminals to addicts to law enforcement, and everyone in between, all walks of life intersect in this thriller about the epidemic that is fentanyl; street name: King Ivory. It is business as usual for Tulsa drug cop, Layne West (James Badge Dale), battling the local criminal element, which hits too close to home when his son, Jack (Jasper Jones), gets hooked on fentanyl. In conjunction with his partner, Ty (George Carroll), and FBI counterpart, Beatty (Rory Cochrane), West makes it his mission in life to take down those responsible, including the Mexican cartel's local shot-caller, Ramón Garza (Michael Mando), Indian Brotherhood War Chief, Holt Lightfeather (Graham Greene), who controls state-wide trafficking while serving life inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. "Big Mac," and the local Irish Mob family outfit, led by George "Smiley" Greene (Ben Foster), along with his mother, Ginger (Melissa Leo), and uncle, Mickey (Ritchie Coster). As Holt educates West during a prison visit, "The cartels want your kids, the next generation, who want what is new, and fentanyl is new."

Director: John Swab
Producer: Jeremy M. Rosen
Screenwriter: John Swab
Distributor: Roadside Attractions / Saban Films
Production Co: Roxwell Films
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 14, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 2h 10m

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