THE STORY – A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building’s history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery.
THE CAST – Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham & Patricia Arquette
THE TEAM – Kirill Sokolov (Director/Writer) & Alex Litvak (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes
After “Atlanta,” Zazie Beetz should’ve been one of the biggest names working in Hollywood today. Beetz, who was brilliant in the Emmy-winning series by Donald Glover, only scratched the surface of what she’s capable of, so it’s all the more alluring that Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov would build an all-out action vehicle for someone of Beetz’s caliber. Sokolov’s style of black comedy pushes itself to the limit with his new feature “They Will Kill You,” a ferocious slaughterfest that is easy to be won over by its comically absurd levels of violence. Yet, despite weaving in elements of horror and action films that influenced Kirill, it’s an all-too-generic outing that can’t escape the guardrails of familiarity.
In “They Will Kill You”, Beetz plays Asia Reeves, a woman desperately looking for work after her nine-year stint in prison led to her separation from her sister Maria at the hands of their abusive father. Asia manages to find work as a housekeeper at The Virgil, a historic building in New York City, whose eeriness she feels immediately upon meeting the building’s superintendent, Iris, played by Patricia Arquette. What turns into an opportunity to jump-start her life actually turns into the worst night of her life as Asia soon learns that the building is home to a satan-whorshipping cult that is planning to offer her up as their latest sacrifice. Asia must fight for her life in a “The Raid” style escapade if she wants to not only escape the building, but also leave with what she really came for: her sister.
Sokolov, placing his trust in Beetz, is the best decision he made with “They Will Kill You” as she channels the fervor, rage-filled scream queen Asia is as she shoots and slices her way through waves of hooded goons blessed with satanic powers. Beetz tries to get as much as she can out of the character, but most of Sokolov and co-writer Alex Litvak’s creations are merely action figures made to be smashed against one another. Asia simplicities as a character are apparent, and Beetz does her best to break beyond being just a vessel of carnage. Even the members played by the satanic cult, like Tom Felton and Heather Graham, are merely dummies to deliver quips and engage in elaborately constructed fight sequences. At least they’re more consistent than Arquette, whose fake Irish accent is somehow more unbelievable than Sokolov trying to sell audiences that the film actually takes place in New York.
Myha’la, who plays Asia’s sister, Maria, has great chemistry with Beetz as they navigate The Virgil while trying to make up for lost time. Maria is a bit of a mystery, as she’s one of the other housekeepers subjected to this cult. Myha’la plays her a bit quietly, which only makes her the polar opposite of her sister. Still, the relationship between the two, despite Myha’la and Beetz’s performances, can’t overcome the thinly sketched out relationship that’s supposed to be the film’s emotional heartbeat. The screenplay’s premise is its strongest aspect, but it’s still a genre film that mostly rehashes the best of Radio Silence’s “Ready or Not” and “Kill Bill.” There are some fun swings in “They Will Kill You,” whether it’s a cult member’s body part rolling through The Virgil trying to keep tabs on Asia or the wonderfully wince-inducing prosthetic work that effortlessly sells the brutality of the violence.
Sokolov’s direction gives “They Will Kill You” some necessary juice, tapping into a very campy energy of 70s action films. None of the fight sequences ever match the ambush on Asia in the film’s first act, which truly sets the tone for the rest of “They Will Kill You.” Even Beetz, wielding a fire axe and hacking down goons, isn’t as satisfying as one would hope, as it slowly falls into a repetitive pattern of being too cut up for its own good, taking the fluidity out of the action. At least Sokolov gives Beetz a moment to shine and become the action hero she deserves, but the film’s more inventive set pieces, such as the air-duct crawl, don’t outweigh how underwhelming “They Will Kill You” is at the end of the day.
