Russian-born director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die!) makes his Hollywood debut with They Will Kill You, a blood-soaked horror-action-comedy co-written with Alex Litvak. Think John Wick meets Get Out, or Dante’s Inferno meets Donkey Kong by way of Kill Bill. If that sounds more than a bit crazy, I’m coming through loud and clear.
Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) is an ex-con desperate for a fresh start who takes a housekeeping job at The Virgil, a sleek, intimidating Manhattan high-rise notorious for its obscenely wealthy tenants and a string of unsolved disappearances. When Asia discovers that The Virgil is not merely an exclusive luxury address. It’s an elaborate, purpose-built death-trap functioning as a Satanic temple and headquarters for a murderous cult, and her first night in her less-than-private room turns into a desperate battle for survival. The cult’s wealthy, powerful members include a cosmetics tycoon played by Heather Graham (The Hangover) and building manager Patricia Arquette (Severance). Tom Felton (Harry Potter) and Myha’La (Industry) round out the supporting cast in roles that blur the line between friend and foe.
They Will Kill You’s stylized set pieces are grounded by this fantastic cast’s go-for-broke performances. It turns out Asia isn’t actually a maid at all — she’s looking for her estranged sister and she’s armed to the teeth. Beetz is excellent, delivering a bravura performance as a heroine who’s always believable as a killing machine. She’s physical, funny and emotionally credible even when she has to battle her way through the building’s increasingly deranged gauntlet of devil-worshipping denizens. Between the visceral action and bonkers horror elements, even Arquette’s wildly inconsistent Irish lilt is charming in its why-not zaniness.
The film’s chapter titles and needle drops straight out of the Tarantino universe signal early on that Sokolov is building something stylized and self-aware. They Will Kill You proceeds floor by bloody boutique floor, structured like a video game. Asia improvises weapons and moves through The Virgil’s various levels using networks of ventilation ducts, dumbwaiters, and elevator shafts. It’s the kind of film where the heroine is chased by a sentient eyeball rolling across the floor before she has to clear a banquet hall filled with baddies using a flaming ax.
The practical effects department deserves its own curtain call here. Working with VFX team Crafty Apes, Sokolov leans lovingly into old-school gags: decapitations with fake heads in the tradition of Evil Dead II, latex limb-lopping, puppetry, wirework, and the most arterial spray I’ve seen since the Kill Bill films. The result is a gonzo, practically cartoonish visual style that feels sincere and handmade in an era of weightless CGI and AI slop.
I can’t count how many times I’ve watched an action movie with a female protagonist where the part feels like it was written for a man and then recast, and the fighting sequences are completely unbelievable because a petite woman can’t realistically knock out an average-sized man with a single punch. These films are instantly forgettable. Here Sokolov manages to give viewers a moving story about trauma-bound sisters while also giving Beetz a chance to show off her fantastic physical gifts, performing most of her own stunts. Asia is a super character and Beetz carries Asia’s arc from aching family drama to pit boss in hell without missing a beat. Or a beatdown. Check in at The Virgil and enjoy your stay.
They Will Kill You is streaming on HBO Max.
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.