Russian-born director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die, No Looking Back) delivers a perfectly serviceable horror comedy with his latest film, They Will Kill You. Co-written with Alex Litvak, the film boasts an impressive ensemble that includes Zazie Beetz (Joker, Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die), Industry star Myha’la, Harry Potter alum Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette.
Asia Reaves (Beetz), freshly released from prison, lands what seems like a simple housekeeping job at The Virgil, an upscale New York residential building that is pristine, quiet, and strangely strict about its rules. It doesn’t take long before the cracks begin to show. Staff and tenants behave oddly, certain areas are completely off-limits, and newcomers have a habit of vanishing without explanation. Asia soon realises the building isn’t merely hiding secrets, it’s designed to trap her, and everyone who came before her, with no way out.
They Will Kill You doesn’t really do subtlety. It is loud, chaotic, and unapologetically over-the-top from start to finish. Sokolov knows exactly what kind of film he wants to make and wastes no time pretending otherwise. From the moment Asia steps into The Virgil, the tone is locked in. Violent, strange, and more than a little ridiculous, his film leans gleefully into its cocktail of horror, dark comedy, and Blaxploitation, but is too often a little too desperate for cult status with the way in which it choses to tell the story.
Beetz delivers a confident physical performance that suits the action-heavy register perfectly. She brings just enough grit and attitude to keep things grounded as the story spirals into absurdity. For her part, Myha’la adds some emotional texture as Asia’s estranged sister Maria, though their relationship never receives the development it deserves. Arquette meanwhile, looks like she’s having the time of her lives, even if her character doesn’t stray far beyond cult-member archetype.
The action sequences are the film’s undisputed highlight. Sokolov stages them with real energy and ingenuity, turning the building’s tight corridors, air vents, and lifts into a playground for choreographed chaos. The stylised violence and dark humour – look out for a hilarious sequence involving a singular eyeball seeing more action than its owner ever intend for.
The trouble is that They Will Kill You begins to run on fumes in its final act. The formula of fight, gore, joke starts to repeat without meaningful escalation, and the story is too thin to compensate. Gestures toward themes of class and family are quickly swallowed by the spectacle, and a handful of stylistic choices, including some gratuitous shots that feel a touch dated.
But Sokolov isn’t making a film that strains for profundity, and that self-awareness counts for something. They Will Kill You is messy, excessive, and uneven in places, but if you’re in the mood for something wild and unpretentious, it delivers exactly what it promises.
