Kings and Desperate Men is a 1981 Canadian hostage drama film directed, co-written and produced by Alexis Kanner.

The film stars Patrick McGoohan as radio talk show host John Kingsley, Margaret Trudeau as his wife Elizabeth, and Kanner with Andrea Marcovicci as terrorists.

[1] Its title is derived from a line in John Donne's poem "Death Be Not Proud" (Holy Sonnet X): "Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men.

On Christmas Eve, a radio talk show host, his wealthy wife, their mentally challenged son and a federal judge are taken hostage by a group of terrorists.

The movie was eventually released in Canada on August 22, 1981 at the Montreal World Film Festival.