They Will Kill You
They Will Kill You
Starring Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Myha'la, Tom Felton
Directed by Kirill Sokolov
After getting out of prison, Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) applies to be a maid for a local apartment complex known as the Virgil, run by the superintendent Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette). The first night there Asia wakes up to find a group of people in her room threatening to kill her, but they picked the wrong person - Asia is well trained in combat, and dispatches the goons with relative ease. Then she discovers the Virgil's secret: it's the home of a Satanic cult that needs a sacrifice - and Asia is their choice.
The Good:
Seeing the trailer for "They Will Kill You" tells you everything you really need to know about the movie, and it doesn't try to do more than that. It's an intense, nearly non-stop action romp with horror elements thrown in with good measure, a perfect movie to turn your mind off to and enjoy the ride.
The cinematography of the film is intense, with cinematographer Isaac Bauman crafting the camerawork with spinning angles, tight spaces and self-mounting cameras that focus on the character as they run and fight. It's exciting and adds to the intensity of the film's numerous action sequences.
The sequences themselves are well-paced and choreographed, and Zazie Beetz more than holds her own during those intense moments. Her first starring role sees her as the tough-as-nails Asia Reaves, a woman with a troubled past who uses that past to combat the nearly countless villains she has to face in one night. Her physical acumen is impressive to say the least, cementing her (along with other roles in movies like "Deadpool 2" "The Harder They Fall" and 2026's previous outing "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die") as a modern-day action heroine, and her presence alone makes it worth the watch with how much she commits to the role.
You can't have a great hero without a great villain, and Oscar winner Patricia Arquette more than fills that role as the evil Lily Woodhouse, the superintendent of the Virgil and the leader of the Satanic cult that wishes to sacrifice Asia by night's end. She is both disarming and charming, utilizing an Irish accent to make her appear more innocent than she really is, but when she turns full villain it's exciting to see and showcases her tremendous talent.
Director/writer Kirill Sokolov and co-writer Alex Litvak obviously take from other films to tell their story. It's "Kill Bill" with its stylized action sequences and Asia's use of the sword; it's "Hotel Artemis" with its setting, which itself is lavish, with stunning production designs; it's "Ready or Not" as Asia is set to be sacrificed by a cult of Satanists; it's a Tarantino film in its filming style, and Raimi with the excessive use of gore and slapstick bloody comedy. Usually it's a sign of weakness, but they manage to pull it all off with delightful (and bloody) aplomb.
The Bad:
The movie starts off quickly, with the fighting sequence prominently featured in the trailer taking place about fifteen minutes in, which had me thinking the film would've been a non-stop action thrill ride. While there's several sequences, the pacing gets disjointed as it starts off at 100 then goes to 40 before going up to 60 then back to 30, then up to 90 and down to 50.
While the action sequences are exciting and fast-paced, they sometimes repeat themselves just in different rooms in the hotel. On top of that, there's very little in terms of stakes, as you know the outcome already pretty much, considering how much you know about movies like this - plus a twist in the movie that really eliminates the stakes.
The Verdict:
While not perfect, "They Will Kill You" delivers on its promise - an intense, nearly-nonstop action horror black comedy with impressive action sequences, gleeful gore, and proving Zazie Beetz as a modern day action heroine.
The Score: A
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