King of California is a 2008 American comedy-drama film written by Mike Cahil and directed by Ron Shelton, in his debut as a screenwriter and director.

It stars Michael Douglas as a mentally ill man who thinks he has discovered buried treasure, and Evan Rachel Wood as his weary daughter.

He is also obsessed with the idea that the long-lost treasure of Spanish explorer Father Juan Florismarte Torres is buried near their suburban California house in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Armed with a metal detector and a stack of treasure-hunting books, he finds reason to believe that the gold is underneath the local Costco, and encourages Miranda to get a job there so they can plan a way to excavate it.

The site's critics' consensus reads: "A quirky and often touching comedy about a mature teenager and her manic depressive father, King of California is a charming tale of familial relations and treasure hunting".

[12] New York Times film critic Stephen Holden described King of California as "a sequel of sorts" to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), noting the similarity between the characters of Charlie and Randle McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson).

Praising Michael Douglas' acting as "his strongest screen performance since Wonder Boys," Holden concluded that the film "is really a Don Quixote-like fable about nonconformity and pursuing your impossible dream to the very end.

"[13] Ted Fry of The Seattle Times also extolled Michael Douglas' acting as "one of his stronger performances", and called King of California "a strong effort by first-time writer/director Mike Cahill that will keep you bemused for its idiosyncratic voice.