THEY WILL KILL YOU Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Kirill Solokov
Stars: Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham, Tom Felton, Myha’la Herrold, Paterson Joseph.
There is plenty of carnage, blood and gore to be found in this savage, violent but thoroughly enjoyable black comedy/horror hybrid.
Fresh out of prison, Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz, from the Deadpool, etc) lands a job as a maid at the Virgil, a secretive, exclusive upmarket high-rise hotel in downtown Manhattan, which is home to a number of wealthy clients. Her boss is the no-nonsense Lily Whitehouse (Oscar winner Patricia Arquette, from Boyhood, etc), who explains the rules of the house before showing Asia to her room.
Her first night in the hotel though quickly turns into a nightmare and a fight for survival as she is attacked by many robed and mask wearing residents, who turn out to be immortals involved in a Satanic cult. They have selected Asia to be their latest human sacrifice. But unknown to them Asia has developed some special skills while in prison and she fights back, even though she suffers lots of physical punishment along the way.
But Asia also has another more urgent and personal reason for taking the job at the Virgil. She is looking for her younger sister Maria (Myha’la, from the tv series Industry, etc) whom she was reluctantly forced to abandon several years earlier and leave her at the mercy of their abusive father. Asia also finds a sympathetic ally in Lily’s husband Ray (Paterson Joseph, from Wonka, etc), who has grown tired of the hotel and its need for blood sacrifices after a century of servitude.
This is the debut English language feature for Russian born director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die!, etc). He maintains a fast pace throughout the film, barely giving audiences time to catch their breath before unleashing another brutal action scene. Sokolov has been influenced by filmmakers including Sergio Leone, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Sam Raimi, and the film draws upon numerous genres, from horror to martial arts to Japanese anime and possibly even the violent Japanese film Battle Royale, and the classic devil worship film Rosemary’s Baby. Many of the gruelling and brutally punishing fight scenes have been superbly choreographed and stylishly staged by stunt co-ordinators Russ McCarroll and Kerry Gregg. They have been kinetically edited by Luke Doolan (Gringo, etc).
They Will Kill You is also very claustrophobic as much of the action is confined to the inside of hotel rooms, hallways, and a series of tunnels and elevator shafts that run throughout the sprawling Virgil. The action has been nicely shot by cinematographer Isaac Bauman (Deliver Us, etc). Jeremy Reed’s production design is superb and makes the hotel itself a character in the film. The special visual effects team have used plenty of fake blood and prosthetic make-up to good effect. There’s even an icky sequence involving a very mobile detached eyeball.
Beetz makes the most of her first leading role and makes for a formidable action heroine; she has a strong physical presence and acquits herself well in a physically demanding role. Arquette brings an icy quality and an aloof demeanour to her role as the hotel’s manageress. Amongst the homicidal guests are the creepy Kevin (played by Tom Felton of Harry Potter Fame) and Sharon (Heather Graham, from The Hangover, etc). Australian actor Angus Sampson (from the Insidious series of horror movies, and the tv series The Lincoln Lawyer, etc) has a small role as a private investigator who helps Asia land the job at the Virgil.
Sokolov and his co-writer Alex Litvak (Predators, etc) deliver plenty of decapitations, dismemberments, blood spatter and gore to satisfy fans of the genre. And all in a lean 94 minutes. And it is all done with a healthy streak of black humour.
It may be derivative, but it is a lot of (bloody) fun! The blood drenched They Will Kill You would make part of a great double feature with the blood spattered Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come.
★★★☆
