They Will Kill You: An Absurdly Over-the-Top Tale That Thrills & Delights (4K)

The Film:

When it comes to the realm of horror-comedies, it's another one of those genre combos that can be very difficult to get right. Some filmmakers will somehow find a perfect balance between the two, while others will rely far more heavily on the humor side of the equation in order to bring out the laughs of a horrifying situation. Then there are those who simply let the absurdity of the situation speak for itself, which brings us to Kirill Sokolov's "They Will Kill You," an intriguing mixture of the two genres that attempts to thrill, entertain, delight, and give you a chuckle or two all at the same time. Will they be one of the few who're able to get this delicate blend right?

The film opens with Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) and her sister Maria (Orefile Moloi) attempting to escape from their abusive father, leading to him finding them at a store while trying to get supplies. Asia is ultimately forced to shoot him, causing her to get arrested and sent to prison, leaving Maria in his custody. Ten years later, we find Asia taking up a position as a maid at The Virgil, an exclusive apartment building run by Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette) in New York City. During the night, Asia is attacked by several masked individuals, whom she valiantly fends off with her incredible fighting skills. When she confronts Lily afterward, we learn that her true purpose in coming to The Virgil was to find her sister, who is a maid there. However, as Asia soon finds out, getting to her is going to be extremely difficult due to completely unforeseen circumstances regarding the nature of the building's residents.

"They Will Kill You" is one of those films where it's best to know as little as possible before going in. It's a rather deceptive film at first, making you think that this is going to be something of a dramatic mystery that has a young woman searching for her sister, whom she hasn't seen for ten years, but just a short while in, you realize that it's going to be something a little different than expected. Without going into any details about them, suffice it to say that the film has a few twists & turns up its sleeve that basically accomplish everything mentioned on the aforementioned list of things it attempts to do: Thrill, entertain, delight, and give you some laughs along the way at it unveils its various secrets.

Sure, the film can fairly be called over-the-top, absurd, nonsensical, and ridiculous, with a climax that is rather unhinged in its silliness, but therein lies the point. This is the kind of film that is not trying to ground itself in any kind of reality. Its sole purpose is to entertain you for a wild, unpredictable, fast-paced 90 minutes, and in that endeavor, it succeeds quite well. Obviously it's not the kind of thing that's going to be everyone's cup of tea, but if you have the constitution for it, there's a good chance you'll find yourself caught up in this little action-packed outing that comes with a good amount of surprises.

Throw in a rather impressive cast that includes Emmy nominee Zazie Beetz, Oscar winner Patricia Arquette, SAG Award nominee Heather Graham, and Paterson Joseph, who's had a long, distinguished career on stage & screen, and you have a film that delivers on several fronts. Again, it's not going to be to everyone's taste, but if you're open to something that's a little out there, something that'll make you go wide-eyed with its unexpected developments, then "They Will Kill You" might be just the kind of quick & exciting outing you're looking for.

Video/Audio:

"They Will Kill You" comes to 4K in a 2.20:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality. The picture is quite sharp & clear throughout the entire 94-minute duration, perfectly highlighting the intriguing production design & intense action sequences. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a fantastic job in both areas for the film's physical debut.

Special Features:

Director's Log: The Making of They Will Kill You (8 Minutes): A featurette that has the cast & crew discussing various aspects of the film.

Developing the Virgil (8 Minutes): A featurette that takes a look at the design of the film's main setting.

Asia Reaves' Attacks (7 Minutes): A featurette that looks at the intense choreography that Zazie Beetz performs throughout the film.

Crafting Carnage (5 Minutes): A featurette that explores the film's action sequences.

Conclusion:

Kirill Sokolov's "They Will Kill You" may begin as a somewhat deceptive film that leads you to think you're in for a dramatic mystery, but as we soon see, it reveals itself to be something a little different, offering up an experience that's over-the-top, absurd, and rather silly at times, but one that will ultimately thrill, entertain, and delight viewers who are open to its wild & exciting little tale.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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