Carl Roberts 
“They Will Kill You is a completely batshit crazy, off-the-chain comedic actioner that is the perfect Friday night movie fodder.”
What would happen if you took the House Of Blue Leaves sequence from Kill Bill Vol. 1 and combined it with the mayhem and location of The Raid? You’d get They Will Kill You. From almost the outset, you can see how the film will play out. You can also predict what kind of movie we can expect, and what will happen to the assembled characters. And we are almost 100% correct in our assumptions. Almost. For two-thirds of the film, we watch the violence, gore, and mayhem play out as if we were watching a Tarantino movie.
But when we get to the final third, the film pivots into something we don’t expect. Zazie Beetz plays the lead as Asia Reaves, an ex-convict looking for a new job, who isn’t what she seems. After the trailers, you can see what we are in for. But is the film a rip-roaring rampage of violence, destruction, and death mixed with comedy? Or is it simply something that should have been killed before production?
THE PREMISE
From New Line Cinema and Nocturna comes “THEY WILL KILL YOU”. The film unleashes a blood-soaked, high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a young woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen, big-screen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humour.
THOUGHTS
While the film can’t be called 100% original, it is great entertainment throughout. With deaths coming thick and fast, only for a complete surprise to take place, this keeps us on our toes. There is also some slick humour, some great set pieces that even Tarantino would marvel at, and nods to classic Grindhouse movies. Because of this, the film does enough to keep the audience completely entertained. While some sequences leave us with a case of deja vu, we can’t help but be in awe of what we see on the screen. The film has a wonderful sense of style. It comes across as a welcome mix that makes for a great evening’s entertainment.
Zazie Beetz makes for a brilliant lead, giving Asia a more personal and human touch before turning into a vindictive heroine that just doesn’t know when to quit. The way she takes on the action scenes is impressive, as well as being violently funny. For example, she swings everything from a screwdriver to a large machete. Blood flies across the screen, up the walls, across the floor, you get the idea. But the actress excels, never blinking or shirking away from what is required of her. She has her own personal story that plays into the plot of the film well. This is a story we hope gets a proper resolution. But we see her as a flawed and focused young woman who will fight to her last breath before quitting.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast all play their roles well. Myha’la as Asia’s missing sister, Maria, gives a spirited performance. She comes across as shy and timid before showing her action chops and getting involved with the bloodshed. She also, of course, is hiding a secret from her sister. Paterson Joseph is good in a thankless role as Ray Woodhouse, Lilith’s husband. Joseph appears, utters a few lines of dialogue, and vanishes for a while before reappearing in a vital role that pushes the plot forward while also explaining a few things.
Tom Felton as Kevin once again plays a villain, but one that we can actually enjoy watching and being in the company of. Anyone whose watched the red band trailer may think his appearance will be a brief one. Not so. You’ll have to see the film to find out why. However, Kevin comes across as a comedic villain instead of an evil, nasty one (even though he does have his moments). Heather Graham as Sharon also gets in on the fun and mayhem, also as a more comedic villain than we would expect. Now, it is she who gets the wrong end of Asia’s weapons on several occasions, but manages to put in a comedic and worthwhile performance when she is on the screen.
PATRICIA ARQUETTE
Patricia Arquette as Lilith gives a charming but nasty performance. It is she who is pulling the strings here, causing all sorts of chaos while speaking calmly in a stilted Irish Accent. It doesn’t come off all the time, but it is believable enough, giving the film more strength to it. The other supporting actors are, to be blunt about it, simply cannon fodder, headed to the meat grinder under Asia’s weaponry and relentless assault. But they do what they need to do, die evilly well, and make for some great comedic moments in their own right.
VERDICT
They Will Kill You is a completely batshit crazy, off-the-chain comedic actioner that is the perfect Friday night movie fodder. By taking its inspiration from some classic movies and some not-so-classic movies, it all blends together into a crowd-pleasing film. With the great direction from Kirill Sokolov, from a script co-written with Alex Litvak, the film speeds along at a decent pace, even taking the time to flesh out the backstory of both Asia and Maria along the way, as well as Lilith and Ray. Intercutting with classic Grindhouse cue cards, something Quentin Tarantino will enjoy, the film feels like a Grindhouse movie, one that is more modern and up to date.
While it’s hardly original, the film will play well with the weekend crowd looking to get in, have some fun, and then go home afterwards. At a brisk 94 minutes, the film does feel slightly truncated, but it packs so much in that we find ourselves breathless by the closing credits. It does tend to have us thinking it is a violent Simpsons Treehouse Of Horror segment at times, but that’s where the fun lies. Gorehounds will get a kick out of it, audiences just wanting to be entertained will get what they want, and those looking for simply a good time will get one. They Will Kill You won’t kill you per se. But it will give you a great night’s entertainment. I loved it!
They Will Kill You is in cinemas this Friday, Courtesy of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
