Anonymous Killers is a thrilling game of “who deserves to live?” This film had a creative plot, fun “Grindhousy” introductions, and interesting characters. There are moments when the film experiences shortcomings in the plot development as well as the ending, but overall this was a fun flick featuring some seriously damaged death dealers. 

Anonymous Killers is reminiscent of a diplomatic Saw. Five killers wake up in a warehouse and find they are being held captive by a mysterious man named Emaramus Kloath (Nathanyael Grey). Emaramus poses them with a simple task, share your personal stories and peers will vote on your fate based on the morality of each assassin’s killings. Only this simple task proves to not be so simple. Hot tempers, egos, and lies cause chaotic discord between these five murderous men and women. 

I love moral dilemma scenarios. The old “trolley is coming down the track and you can either let it run over a group or pull the lever and let it run over one worker” scenario is a subject that could be discussed for hours and Anonymous Killers does a wonderful job setting the stage for a moral dilemma of epic proportions. While it takes a long time to get the story rolling, the intensity of the situation and the characters’ development is enough to keep the audience invested long enough to get to the good stuff–the flashbacks. We’re transported to the pasts of our five assassins and witness several atrocities. These flashbacks are gritty, brutal, and show the deepest evils humankind is capable of while also beautifully humanizing these killers (which just makes this moral dilemma all the more challenging).

At first glance the characters are almost caricatures of stereotypical assassins, but as backstories are revealed the complexity becomes quite apparent. Their duality makes a fairly simple plot more interesting and as the film progressed I was unsure of who to root for as I anxiously awaited the climax. The cast did a wonderful job bringing these dichotomous characters to life. To quote the film, “We all have an instinctual drive to right the wrongs done to us either by just cause or by revenge.” This cast captures the spirit of that statement and makes us sympathize and detest them all at once. Special recognition should be given to Kevin Glikmann for delivering a powerfully surprising performance as Professor Curtis Tiddleman. 

While the story was interesting, it’s not without flaws. Anonymous Killers had a lot of momentum but it seemed to burn out. The film’s ending felt weak compared to the strong introduction. The story itself ends in an agreeable enough way, I just don’t think it packed the punch it should have. Without giving anything away, the best part about this film is the idea that people are capable of committing crimes while upholding societal values. That’s more terrifying than any monster, ghost, or ghoul. Anonymous Killers is a creative endeavor that (despite some shortcomings) was both entertaining and a good exercise in morality.

6 out of 10