Review of Kill List (2011) by Lee R — 10 Dec 2012

Jay's (Neil Maskell) life totally sucks. He's been unemployed for the past eight months. He is facing financial (and emotional) problems. His hot Swedish wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) can't stop nagging him. The two constantly argue, much to the consternation of their son Sam (Harry Simpson). Hoping for a break from the constant turmoil, Shel hosts a dinner party and invites two guests. One of them is Jay's best friend Gal (Michael Smiley), and the other is Gal's girlfriend Fiona (Emma Fryer), who works as a human resources manager.

Jay and Gal are acquainted with one another, as they were both former soldiers. It turns out that after serving in the armed forces, both of them made a living as contract hitmen. While Gal is more easygoing and seems to take things more in stride, Jay is still psychologically reeling from a botched mission in Kiev.

His best friend gives him an offer he can't refuse. Jay's buddy Gal suggests that they can make some very easy money. It's a lucrative assignment. All they have to do is assassinate three people: a priest, a librarian, and a member of the Parliament. Sounds easy enough, right?

What should have been a routine gig is anything but. Strange events occur. The client who hired the two slices Jay's hand open and forces him to sign a contract in blood. Earlier, Fiona carves a strange symbol on the back of the mirror at Jay's home. And something very unpleasant happens to the family pet. Throughout this mission, Jay's dark past is slowly coming back to haunt him. His mortal soul is about to be tested by an evil far more malevolent than anything the secular world can come up with...

That's the gist of Kill List. The less you know about the film's plot ahead of time, the better. I will say this: Kill List is one of the strangest movies I have even seen, and that says something. The first twenty minutes or so of this movie is a ponderous melodrama about a husband and wife who are in dire straits. The two constantly bicker; one has to wonder if there is any quiet time in the household. Then they try to kiss and make up. The film's first act, dealing with Jay's familial relationships, although slow at times, is interesting to watch as we see everything unfold. We witness tense arguing between husband and wife, and how that can emotionally scar a child caught in the middle ever so subtly. Even when things appear to be calm between Jay, his wife, and his child, those moments of calmness have an unnerving effect. Because you don't know how long the serenity will last or whether it is a matter of time before the resentment reaches a boiling point, somebody who can no longer hold it in snaps, and the situation explodes out of control.

For the next hour or so, the movie becomes a crime thriller that's mostly slow moving but includes some occasional moments of ultraviolence. It feels like we are watching a Guy Ritchie made thriller. Then for the film's last 15 to 20 minutes, the movie suddenly shifts gears and becomes something surreal, a cinematic hallucinogenic acid trip with some PCP thrown in. The film changes tones so radically that it throws the viewer completely off balance. Kill List doesn't merely integrate several different film genres into one piece; it actually feels as though its three different movies packaged together as one. I honestly felt like I was watching three separate films directed by three individual filmmakers. This sort of filmmaking style sometimes results in this movie going astray with regards to continuity and coherence. It also makes for a rather confusing storyline. While the film does try to throw hints as to its third act, the way the film transitions to this turn of events will leave you overwhelmed and disoriented. And as freaky as the third act was, when it's all over, it will leave you with more questions than answers.

Kill List moves far too slowly. Sometimes the film was a bit of a torture to sit through. We have scenes where characters literally sit around, shooting the breeze. The film suffers from pacing problems, particularly in the second act. I actually yawned a few times and almost fell asleep, but the discombobulated nature of this movie kept my eyes open.

The acting is okay. All the actors give acceptable performances. Neil Maskell does a good job playing a character who straddles the line between parent/husband and violent assassin. He doesn't give a fantastic performance, but he isn't a bad lead. There are times though when he makes Jay a little too unlikable. MyAnna Buring makes her character a little too annoying -- it's no wonder Jay didn't want to put up with her. Michael Smiley portrays Gal with a combination of cool and smarminess. Can't stand his smirk though.

The violence in this film is uncompromising in its brutality. Jay whacks a guy in the skull with a hammer several times and the camera doesn't hold back as you see the hammer hitting the back of the skull in horrid detail. One guy gets stabbed multiple times in the stomach to the point his intestines are showing. We are also treated to a very nasty scene of a guy's head being bashed against the wall repeatedly. The film also has a very morbid sense of humor that is reminiscent of Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarentino. The main characters do oddball things and blurt out non-sequiturs. One example is that Jay would cook a dead rabbit for dinner! I'm not sure though if the dark humor is an appropriate fit for this movie.

It's hard to describe the directing of this film. The directing during the first two acts is pretty indistinguishable. But the last act is well directed, giving the film a nightmarish vibe. You won't believe your eyes. It will jar you, unnerve you, and leave you spellbound in horror. Technically speaking, the film looks and sounds solid. The cinematography won't win any awards, but it appropriately sets the mood of this film. During the third act, the noise level suddenly rises, erupting like a volcano. The background music and chanting are so loud I was worried I would wake the neighbors! You hear a bizarre screeching that makes you think there's a banshee in the room. You also hear the gunshot sounds being fired which are so effective you think that somebody is nearby shooting a gun. All of these noises echo, causing your nerves to twitch. It's the definition of surround sound terror.

You never really know what to expect out of this movie. I suppose it's a morality tale straight out of Tales from the Crypt. Perhaps Jay has lived a life full of sin, but he doesn't think he's a bad person. After all, the people he has been assigned to kill are all scumbags. One of the intended targets participates in illegal activities involving children. Or maybe it is simply a cautionary tale of getting involved with the wrong people at the wrong time...

I don't think this movie makes a whole lot of sense. The bewilderment would make Ingmar Bergman blush. Even when you think you are prepared, you won't be. But I suppose the film's cavalier nonsense attitude is part of what makes it stand out from other pedestrian horror thrillers.

I have mixed feelings about this movie. Personally, I didn't really enjoy this film at all. Perhaps it was the slack pacing or the story that left me frustrated. Perhaps it was because I couldn't stand some of the characters at times. Or perhaps I felt the movie didn't live up to the hype of being the next Great Horror Film. But I can't stop thinking about it. It stays with you long after you have finished watching this movie. It haunts you in your sleep. It's a rarity for a movie to be able to sear your conscience. And for that, the film is a success. Just because I couldn't bring myself to like this movie doesn't mean I can't acknowledge it being a well crafted albeit unique (to put it nicely) movie. It's so deranged you have to see it to believe it. It will leave most viewers either shaking their heads in disbelief or thinking that whoever directed this movie is a goddamn genius. I'll tell you this: I don't think Hollywood would ever have the balls to make a film like this one.