The experimental black comedy directed by Uri Marantz had its premiere at the 27th edition of the Black Night Film Festival in Tallinn. Inspired by a true story, King Khat tells the tale of the most renowned drug lord of the 21st century. Stories of chemistry geniuses turned rulers of narcotrafficking empires have been widely popular in recent years. The case of Breaking Bad inevitably comes to mind. This time, the protagonist is a brilliant Israeli mind, a typical scholar with an above-average IQ that quickly earns him a Ph.D. in chemistry.
He puts his talents into the creation of a specific compound, creating precise compounds, inventing Khat: a psychoactive drug derived from Cathinone. With the support of a network of friends and of his abilities, he quickly establishes a successful start-up.
As one would expect, the growth of his commercial empire brings forth a series of challenges and questions, not only practical and legal, but often moral, especially posed by the protagonist’s partner, particularly after they have a child.
What sets this Israeli film apart is not so much its content; the narrative plot is rather conventional and certainly not surprising, despite its being catchy and fresh and its rhythmic approach that makes it engaging and enjoyable.
Instead, it is the stylistic execution that stands out. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist himself, in the form of a recollection of his own past, from childhood (briefly) to the present, encompassing parties, love stories, and work. The focal point of the film is the knowledgeable and distinctive use of animation technique, where human characters find themselves immersed in a digital world, an animated realm that mirrors, on one hand, the bleakness of the normal world, and on the other, the colorful whirlwind of a mind altered by drugs. This form effectively complements the content in an original manner. The viewer is drawn into a psychedelic and undeniably pop journey through the nocturnal fauna of Haifa and its underground world, colliding and intersecting with the high-tech and academic realms.
The result is a delightful, dark comedy, light-hearted and witty, which lacks depth for sure, but probably doesn’t even need it, as in the case of King Khat the cinematic language insights it offers are more important than the content itself.
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