Wow, this is a wild one – and wonderfully so.
When I saw the trailers for They Will Kill You I had kinda written it off as a Ready or Not knock-off.
But there is much more to Russian director/co-writer Kirill Sokolov’s third feature-length outing.
Yes, there are similarities with Ready or Not – and several moments feel swiped out of the Kill Bill flicks – but Sokolov’s movie is very much its own creative creature.
Deadpool 2’s Zazie Beetz stars as Asia Reaves , who takes a job as a housekeeper in a plush high-rise building to find her sister Maria (Myha’la) and soon realises this is no ordinary community she has joined.
I wouldn’t want to say anything else about the plot as it would ruin the shocking surprises, several of which the trailers managed to cleverly hide.
Beetz is a bad-a** and Asia goes down as one of the best action heroines of recent times.
Showing little fear and a penchant for weapons-based destruction, it’s an absolute joy watching her do her thing.
She’s assisted no end by Sokolov’s hyperactive, visually-engaging shooting style that sees his camera barely stay still amid terrific wide-angle takes and location and action-enhancing shots.
Rarely has a film crammed in this many bloody kills and disappearing body parts, and Sokolov often does so in a cartoonish way that keeps things fun rather than off-puttingly gross.
To say things get a bit out there would be an understatement but it somehow works as Sokolov trains us to expect the unexpected – and you just go with it.
Tom Felton ( Kevin ) and Heather Graham ( Sharon ) tear it up as members of a group on Asia’s tail and it’s nice seeing Patricia Arquette ( Lily ) making a mainstream movie return – although her Irish accent needed more work.
We get flashbacks to fill in story gaps and answer questions, with everything making sense in this messed-up world where no-one keeps their hands clean.
Go in as blind as you can and lap up every bloody, bombastic, bizarre moment of They Will Kill You , a genuinely pleasant surprise that will take some beating in 2026’s wildest cinematic ride stakes.
● What are some of the wildest, most surprising films you have seen?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your views, and any movie or TV show recommendations you have, to your fellow readers.
● They Will Kill You is available to buy or rent on Sky Store.
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