‘They Will Kill You’ SXSW Review – Zazie Beetz Slaughters Satanists in Blood-Soaked Action Horror

The splatsick mania of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 courses through the veins of Kirill Sokolov’s high-octane action horror comedy They Will Kill You. Instead of a hapless hero, though, They Will Kill You unleashes an unstoppable force of nature in Zazie Beetz, who takes Sokolov’s maximalist stunt-heavy romp by the throat and never lets go.

Sokolov, who co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Litvak (Predators), skips formalities with a rushed but grim intro to Beetz’s Asia Reaves, a woman with a disturbing domestic crisis that lands her in jail and sets up the entire narrative thrust: Asia’s unwavering resolve to rescue the younger sister she left behind, Maria (Myha’La). That brings her to the exclusive high-rise residence, The Virgil, as the new maid taken under the wing of building manager Lily (Patricia Arquette). But infiltrating the ranks to retrieve Maria proves harder than expected for Asia when it turns out the Virgil is home to a Satanic Cult that means to make her their latest sacrifice.

They Will Kill You wastes no time cutting straight to the action-horror goods; Beetz is forced into fight mode almost as soon as she’s tucked into bed on her first night. Barefoot, no less. Sokolov subjects his star to a grueling gauntlet, slicing and dicing through the Satanic elite while sustaining quite a bit of battering herself. It’s an adrenaline rush of a movie that’s aiming to paint the entire building red while delivering no shortage of action-horror spectacle. More is more in Sokolov’s over-the-top horror comedy that puts Beetz’s physicality on impressive display.

Beetz takes on a variety of combat styles, depending on the circumstance and set piece, which keeps Sokolov’s action-horror movie visually interesting even when Asia’s quest takes her further into the increasingly nondescript, rusty bowels of the Virgil. Before then, Production Designer Jeremy Reed (Dust Bunny, Gretel & Hansel) presents a tongue-in-cheek, vibrant interpretation of the Nine Circles of Hell in high-rise form. It’s almost too good; it quickly becomes a shame that Asia’s constant barrage of brawls doesn’t allow for further exploration of the devilish floors.

That surface-level worldbuilding also extends to They Will Kill You‘s plotting and themes; there’s not much depth to the story beyond its resolute heroine’s love for her sister, or Lily’s straightforward bid to protect her own dysfunctional family. It’s a film that brushes its characters with broad archetypal brushstrokes, but luckily leaves its talented and experienced cast to fill in the blanks with quirky character moments that endear and entertain all the same.

Arquette is disarming as the relatable but steely Lily, but Heather Graham stands out as the scene-stealing Sharon, an effervescent acolyte who can dole out as much pain as she can take it, which is to say quite a lot. Graham is in rare form and more than game for Sokolov’s splatstick mayhem.

Sokolov lets the arterial spray flow fast and freely, pulling from spaghetti westerns to anime to samurai features to inject variance and inspired forms of carnage-fueled combat. Horror, and Raimi’s imprint in particular, looms large over bonkers bursts of gore- like a rather cheeky sequence involving a renegade eyeball- that ensures the infectious energy always matches Beetz’s badassery.

Sokolov’s striking composition, dedication to carnage-fueled stunts and fight choreography, and an all-too-game cast anchored by a dedicated and fierce Beetze prevent this slight but energetic crowd-pleaser from careening off the rails. They Will Kill You has little meat on its bones, but it’s so brazen and unabashed in its pursuit of cinematic thrills and splatstick chills that it succeeds in its aim, which is to deliver a riotously great time at the theater.

Beetz’s fighting form brilliance is worth the price of admission alone to this nonstop, blood-soaked adrenaline rush.

They Will Kill You made its world premiere at SXSW and releases in theaters on March 27.