Farewell to the King (1989): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1989, Farewell to the King is an adventure and war film directed by John Milius, running about 117 minutes. “In the midst of war, one man vanished into the jungle, and emerged as king.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. An American soldier who escapes the execution of his comrades by Japanese soldiers in Borneo during WWII becomes the leader of a personal empire among the headhunters in this war story told in the style of Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling. The American is reluctant to rejoin the fight against the Japanese on the urging of a British commando team but conducts a war of vengeance when the Japanese attack his adopted people.

Who’s in it. Farewell to the King stars Nigel Havers as Capt. Fairbourne, Frank McRae as Sgt. Tenga, Gerry Lopez as Gwai and Nick Nolte as Learoyd, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Farewell to the King has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $2.4M at the box office.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Farewell to the King page.

If you liked it. Fans of Farewell to the King tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception, Interstellar and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.