Do you miss fun and fast-paced films with fatal feminine leads? Then Kirill Sokolov’s They Will Kill You is for you. The director’s dangerous and campy film sees Zazie Beetz playing a character intent on kicking ass and taking names. This movie has hands and is an unexpected chaotic little ride that gives Beetz the type of demanding and iconic lead role she deserves.
Beetz plays Asia, a woman looking for the sister she was forced to abandon years ago. Asia has recently gotten out of prison and has taken a job at an unusual Manhattan high-rise in hopes of finding her younger sibling. Her quest to reunite with Maria (Myha’la) hits a snag when she discovers the weirdos who hired her are a satanic cult. What ensues is an epic battle to the death fueled by Black girl rage.
They Will Kill You is never going to beat the allegations that Kill Bill is in its DNA. As much as we hate Quentin Tarantino, even a broken clock is right twice a day. However, this movie swerves into something fantastical and unique instead of just biting off references it never fully understands. This leads it to stumble into territory that leaves us asking how much Pam Grier was on the watchlist when creating Beetz’s character. This also works because it leads the film to celebrating Black women instead of fetishizing and disrespecting them. You get the sense that this movie is a labor of love and also a safe space for all of the Black girl rage that most films don’t know what to do with. Don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of girls with natural hair carrying weapons this Halloween season, because we have found our north star.
Not only does Asia get to be physically vicious as she cuts her way through the supporting ensemble, but Maria gets to throw verbal jabs at her when they find each other. Maria is still pissed that her sister ran off and left her. She is not ready to listen to logic or understand that there was no way out of that situation. So, while she is willing to help her sister to a point, the line between love and hate is especially thin in this case. The chemistry between these two is unmatched, and you immediately buy into the sisterhood. Their relationship felt lived in and raw. It also benefits from living in the foreground of the violent backdrop happening around them.
They Will Kill You boasts an ensemble that includes Patricia Arquette and Heather Graham. Lily (Arquette) is the building manager holding as many secrets as she has keys. Those worried this character wouldn’t enter a fight or two will be delighted at the bonkers situation that leads to her being the final boss battle in this hellish nightmare. Arquette gives one of the performances working in this film’s favor. However, Graham seems to be having the most fun out of anyone on screen. Sharon (Graham) is a surprising source of physical (and gross) comic relief. This might be the first time since her episodes of Scrubs that I have seen her revel in being a clown.
Watching Asia repeatedly dispatch characters is fun in part because each death is a moment. This is because Sokolov and Alex Litvak’s script allows for anything to happen. Early on you stop trying to predict what’s next because it’s impossible to get on their level. Whenever you think the film has gone as off the rails (complimentary) as it can, it pulls another wild surprise out of its sleeve.
We don’t play about Zazie Beetz. However, They Will Kill You gives her the perfect vehicle to prove that even her most die-hard fans were underestimating her. She brings the depth and humor we have come to expect from her as she becomes the most badass action star we could have asked for. Not only is she game for the demanding physicality of the role, but she makes it look so cool it hurts. She beats asses for almost the entirety of the film, and it never gets old. We simply must stan and demand that everything she does here be considered the new definition of Black girl magic.
Another thing working in They Will Kill You’s favor is the scenic design. Production Designer Jeremy Reed and Set Decorator Michele Barfoot create a decadent building that is timeless but somehow vintage. There are hallways reminiscent of Pushing Daisies, but every inch of space screams danger. Which is valid because each nook and cranny of this establishment is just another place for a bigger and badder battle. The set pieces made me feel like a kid in a candy store, and whenever you think they’ve hit their highest high, they top themselves.
Sokolov’s film has the energy of a midnighter and the enthusiasm of someone who has studied cult cinema. That’s what makes this tale of two sisters sing as it reaches for the most unimaginable highs. They Will Kill You is a movie unafraid to march to its own campy, violent, and clever little drummer. It’s the kind of big swing people are always asking for. This film is like a shot of adrenaline right to the heart. It’s unique, weird, fucked up, and one of the best things to come out of this year’s SXSW lineup.
