Frantic, playful genre mashup pic
They Will Kill You-which marks the English-language debut for Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov-is without a doubt among the most fun movies I've seen in theaters recently. Soklov wisely keeps the energy level high and the exposition to a minimum as he depicts the twisted tale of an ex-con (Zazie Beetz) who accepts a maid job at a luxury Manhattan apartment complex in order to free her estranged sister (My'hala) from the clutches of a Satanic cult headed up by the building's enigmatic superintendent (Patricia Arquette). Beetz bring the perfect combination of rage and resilience to her ass-kicking protagonist Asia Reaves, there's a number of nutty reveals that were wisely obscured in the marketing that help give this film a uniquely goofy flavor despite how heavily homages to the works of Sam Raimi, Jackie Chan and Quentin Tarantino factor into its DNA and the action sequences have an abundance of slick camera movements, electric fight choreography and terrific practical blood/gore effects. Getting to see a true labor of love where the spirted efforts of the creatives involved are baked into every frame is what offbeat midnight movies like this are all about and I'm hopeful that
They Will Kill You will go onto to become a cult favorite for decades to come.
Grade: B+
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