Quick thoughts

They Will Kill You

Sister team up slashers were certainly in flavor at this years SXSW, and depending on your tastes, THEY WILL KILL YOU might be the one for you.

An energetic, violent and at times outrageous action horror with just the right amount of comedy splashed in, They Will Kill You was presented to us by director Kirill Sokolov as the movie he would have been obsessed with if he came across it at the age of 12, and it’s easy to see why. Not shy in displaying its inspirations from Kill Bill to the Raid, but really shining through with its incredible Zazie Beetz performance. There’s a bedroom fight scene that immediately had me locked in, weaving in great choreography and camera movements, letting shots stay wide so you really feel the impact of every move. Definitely a style over story type movie at times, but it’s using that style incredibly well.

I had the opportunity to chat with Sokolov briefly the next day where he pointed out character fight choreography matching each character, essentially becoming its own style of dialogue. All that combined with some fun lore and great supporting work from Patricia Arquette and Heather Graham, this is the kinda movie you feel lucky to have caught in a packed SXSW premiere.

I personally would have enjoyed a bit more on the story side in areas, but with the right crowd and knowing to expect more action than horror, it’ll be a good time. Always great to see a director who’s genuinely excited about they’ve made and Sokolov’s passion is clear.