Review: ‘They Will Kill You’ Is Fun But Derivative
It’s truly a shame that we haven’t seen much of Zazie Beetz doing more action since her turn as Domino in Deadpool 2. But at least we get to see her rock out in They Will Kill You, a blend of action, horror, and a garnish of comedy, where she is unwittingly a sacrifice for the Satanic cult that resides inside the Centennial Virgil hotel. Thankfully, no time is wasted, and the screams and killings kick off shortly after she finds herself asleep. This will be repeated online ad nauseam, so let’s get it out of the way now: Kill Bill is clearly the heaviest influence for They Will Kill You, and although it’s fun seeing Beetz go buck-wild with weapons, the other inspirations hamper it a bit.
[Warning: spoilers from They Will Kill You are below!]
They Will Kill You props up Zazie Beetz as an action star
It’s great to see a film fully led by Zazie Beetz, but it will only make you wonder why she isn’t doing more. In They Will Kill You, Beetz has so much time kicking ass that it seems inevitable to see her doing more in the future. Whether it’s wielding an axe that is on fire, slicing up bodies samurai style with a short sword, or blasting them away with a 10-gauge shotgun, Beetz’s raw intensity during the (various) fight scenes is staggering.
The fighting skills of Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) were earned before the start of the events, where she spent a decade in prison while protecting her sister Maria (Myha’la) from their abusive father. So when Asia takes on several enemies and has to get creative about taking them down, it stems from a well-laid sense of survival. That same instinct inspires her to use everything within arm’s reach as a weapon or a defense against others. Asia starts off by fending off the Satanic cultists, who include Sharon (Heather Graham) and Kevin (Tom Felton), led by Lily (Patricia Arquette) in their ritualistic offering, with Asia as their victim.
After her initial escape, Asia is able to traverse some of the freaky floors inside The Virgil, but, regrettably, this concept is mentioned only once and then completely abandoned (clearly a nod to the Nine Circles of Hell). Seeing Beetz fight and crawl through dimly lit vents got stale and was extended too far, too early in the film. Director Kirill Sokolov remedies it by providing lengthy fight scenes with only a few (needed) short moments of exposition to recount how Asia ends up at The Virgil.
When the spaces open up, as in the showdown in the dining room, the thrill is reignited as Beetz wildly swings through the area, decimating the cult members. Here’s the kicker, though: the cultists are immortal, as their deal with the Devil allows them to regenerate, which causes Asia to take on the same enemies repeatedly. Since they come back, it forces her to keep cutting their limbs off, all for them to just pick themselves up and fight her again. This paves the way for endless Kill Bill stylized finishes, paired with our heroine being outnumbered but prevailing in the end.
The comedy is sparse, and the horror is nonexistent
From the trailer, you can tell this is campy, lacking true jump scares and leaning into wacky blood splatter that is reminiscent of the Happy Tree Friends type of shock factor. It’s as if someone found some spare water sprinklers and loaded them up with fake blood that goes out in every direction imaginable. For whatever reason, this decision is swapped for a more realistic gore display around the halfway mark, with some exaggerated bleed-outs. The only genuine jolting moment is brief, and it’s when Paterson Joseph jumps in to drag Asia away and introduce Maria to the audience. Joseph’s inclusion shocked me, as his voice was incredibly gruff and exhausted, yet he spoke with an impeccable American accent. Meanwhile, you have Arquette channeling some of her Severance personality and, confusingly, adopting an Irish accent only in the last 30 minutes.
The comedy is only a little better, with Pelton reciting Monty Python and the Holy Grail at least twice when his hands or feet are cut off his body. Graham is by far the best of the bunch, the thrill of the kill giving her the ammunition to shout out some slightly funny lines. The other members of the cult are easily forgettable, only fodder for Asia to fight on her way to The Virgil’s exit, located on the roof. The biggest laughs came from the cultists’ reactions when they were surprised by Asia’s willingness to fight back.
Some of the blunders in They Will Kill You are forgivable
I’m not sure how thought-out the idea was to have Beetz remain barefoot for the entire movie, assuming it’s a nod to Tarantino’s infamous foot fascination. Even a couple of shots that put her soles as wide as possible felt extremely odd, as if Sokolov meant to get a nod from the famed director. Homages can be welcome at times, but around half (maybe more than half) of the ideas and execution feel borrowed rather than honored. This is not to say they’re done in poor taste or fulfillment, just that hardly any aspects of They Will Kill You feel fresh or original. Considering it’s Sokolov’s first venture into the American/English market, his attempt is forgiven since Beetz is just so amusingly badass.
They Will Kill You is currently in theaters!! Have you seen it yet? Do you plan on seeing Zazie Beetz take down a Satanic cult? To find theatres and times in your area, check out the film’s official page! Let us know your thoughts on social media @bsb.insider!
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