Review of Kill Your Darlings (2013) by Amy B — 02 Dec 2013

Kill Your Darlings, a biopic set during the 1940?s draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. Set during their early lives, documenting how they met, following them though college, the film doesn't shy away from lifestyle of the poet and his creative friends who experimented with drugs, drink and sexuality resulting in the events that changed their lives and their friendships forever.

Validating once more that he is not just the boy from the best-selling Harry Potter series, Daniel Radcliffe impresses and stuns audiences in his latest film 'Kill Your Darlings' where he portrays a young Allen Ginsberg, who throughout the film embraces his creative flair, sexuality, rebellious side and bares all.

DeHaan, best known for his role in Chronicle, is equally impressive as Lucien Carr with his bravado and electric performance, giving the audience no doubt about why both Ginsberg and David Kammerer were so enamoured with him.

Other notable performances came from the equally impressive Ben Foster and Jack Houston, who portray Burroughs and Kerouac.

Kill your Darlings is a Beat movie with a difference, focusing on time in their lives when their writing was just beginning. Shot on location in New York, Darlings has an authentic feel from start to finish demonstrating how much work and research went in to the piece, it was nine years in the making after all.

The Writer/Director spent nine years, writing, researching and fighting for the film to be made and after several bumps, such as loss of funding and casting changes, what John Krokidas has achieved is a truly wonderful piece of work. Whatever your feelings on the other recent beat movies such as; On the Road, Howl, Big-Sur Darlings is a must see.