Are you ready (or not) for yet another dark comedy about a rich, evil cult sacrificing innocent people? Isn’t it starting to feel a little familiar? They Will Kill You borrows (liberally) from that exact playbook, but instead of the usual innocent, defenceless lead, we get a protagonist who actually kicks ass.
Asia Raeves (played by Zazie Beetz) engages in combat that is less about survival instincts and more about full-scale annihilation. Which is slightly refreshing, given that main characters in horror films are constantly at the mercy of their antagonists.
Here, the Tarantino-esque camera movements and fights are vivid and bloody enough to keep things moving. But what feels like an attempted homage to Ready or Not and Kill Bill—which are wildly entertaining—is ironically, only sporadically fun.
The storytelling quickly slips into a loop, existing mainly to shuttle our protagonist from one fight location to the next (which, if intentional, sure… commit to the bit). Yet, the very fights meant to carry the film don’t quite land their punches after a while—weighed down by a flat script and dialogue, and with characters that lack much personality (a real waste, considering the calibre of the cast).
Zazie Beetz is the rare exception who brings weight to a character that a script doesn’t fully earn.
That said, in an era where audiences apparently “don’t want deeper themes” forced on them, maybe a theatre flick that’s shallow in character arcs, narrative turns, or lore has its place. They Will Kill You instead leans into pure, chaotic fun that’s gory and relentless.
To give you some perspective, my partner… after sitting through all the yelling, stabbing, and bloodshed enough to rival our entire world’s oil reserves, called it a “feel-good movie.”
So if you’re looking for something that guarantees you won’t be the only one in the theatre going “dayuuuum that was sick,” this one’s probably for you. They Will Kill You opens in theatres on 26 March.