
Movie review
A Hologram for the King
Woke Score
Lower is better
- Release Date
- April 22, 2016
- Age Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 98 min
Where to Watch
United States · Last checked 5/13/2026
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Breakdown
Factors & Ratings
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for A Hologram for the King.
Representation / casting choices
Non-Arab actress in prominent Saudi professional role and other supporting choices; story-logical for educated characters but not ethnically matched; never highlighted or sold as progressive representation.
Political / ideological dialogue
Casual talk of American job losses from China outsourcing and Saudi red tape; conversational and character-driven, with no activist speeches or modern framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Cultural friction and personal redemption arcs; differences treated as setting and character experience rather than identity politics or group grievance.
Institutional / cultural critique
Shows Saudi norms around gender interactions and bureaucracy alongside American corporate/globalization struggles; presented as lived observation, not reframed as systemic patriarchy, toxic masculinity, or anti-Western institutional attack.
