Review: King Cobra - the Brent Corrigan "true" story

Yesterday I discovered that 'King Cobra' is now streaming on Netflix. A steamy, dark comedy, thriller, about the gay porn industry.

The film focusses on 'Brent Corrigan', real name - Sean Paul Lockhart (played by Garret Clayton), who started his porn career in 2004. It also stars James Franco, who also produced the film, which was directed by Justin Kelly.

Corrigan was discovered by Bryan Kocis, founder of gay porn studio 'Cobra Video'. The film shows how things went sour between the pair when Lockhart decided to go solo, in his career. This resulted in a dispute over the name 'Brent Corrigan' which Kocis said was his intellectual property.

An agreement was made in the end, but Kocis was murdered by two male escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes, at his home in North Township, Pennsylvania. He was stabbed multiple times and Cuadra and Kerekes set fire to his home to try and cover-up the evidence.

The motive was that the pair wanted to get Corrigan out of his contract with Cobra video, in order to cash in, with Corrigan set to make videos with them.

Brent Corrigan did not conspire with Cuadra and Kerekes and was a witness for the prosecution during the murder trials.

Brent Corrigan not happy

Before production Brent Corrigan was offered a supporting role in King Cobra but declined. On its release Corrigan took to Twitter to bash the film, saying it's inaccurate...

Now, I enjoyed the film, but when it comes to films which claim to be "true stories", I always try and take it with a pinch of salt. The fact that Brent Corrigan wasn't involved with 'King Cobra', does make you question how accurate certain parts are.

It would be easy for me to say "well it's just a film it doesn't matter", but if it was my life I think I would have the same reaction that Corrigan did.

Before the films release Brent Corrigan had viewed the script and said it had "loads wrong with it", and parts which were simply left out. Corrigan also went as far, as to say the film makers had been insensitive, with no respect for anybody involved in the actual events.

Verdict

'King Cobra' is an easy watch, with not as many sex scenes as I was expecting, it certainly isn't the 'Fifty Shades of Gay' I was anticipating, but it does get the heart rate up!

Garret Clayton is the undoubtable break-out star, but this role is certainly a far cry from Hairspray Live.

Though 'King Cobra' does focus on serious issues, including the very taboo nature which still exists towards porn, it has a comedic, easy going tone to it, despite ultimately ending with a brutal murder.

I would have liked to of seen the issues of gay porn explored much more, I think it had the potential to really explore the psychology and perception of porn, a missed opportunity if you ask me! A point which Corrigan himself also made.

'King Cobra' is streaming now on Netflix!

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