Review of Kill Your Darlings (2013) by Johann M — 12 Feb 2017

Kill Your Darlings is a magnificent effort by first-time filmmaker John Krokidas. The movie is based on a true story set in 1944 when a young Allen Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs all congregated together in New York City, and whose lives were forever changed when a mutual friend, Lucian Carr, killed an acquaintance of theirs.

The project attracted one of the most acclaimed independent film casts of all time, featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ben Foster, Elizabeth Olsen, Jack Huston, and David Cross.

The prevailing motif throughout the film focuses on the cyclical nature of art as well as life. With this in mind, Krokidas lays out a non-traditional plot structure that begins at the end of this true tale, jumps back in time, and as the movie unfolds, eventually circles back on itself.

The final result is a showcase of great performances paired with an equally striking aesthetic. Krokidas' unique blend of camera movement, sound design, graphics, and occasional distortion of time is a rarity among small-budget productions helmed by a debut filmmaker, making this gem that much more impressive.