December 28, 2011
Juvenile and unoriginal, Kill List is the kind of thriller that can only work if you’ve haven’t seen any good ones. Striving to stand apart from The Wicker Man, it certainly succeeds in that ambition. Lacking the pacing, wit or panache of Wicker Man’s blend of thriller-horror, Kill List is by-numbers filmmaking, wearisome and plodding. In a time of worldwide financial crisis, it’s also a genuine wonder – almost a crime - that Kill List got made. Presumably DVD takings from the Saturday night takeaway crowd will recoup the cost. But they deserve better.
The British film industry seems stuck in a spiral of dog-eared, grungily violent films, and Kill List is another depressing entry. Ben Wheatley’s feature gives us nothing new. Lacking the sparky edge-of-seat quality of Hush, a couple of years back, or the comedy-to-horror turnaround of The Cottage, Kill List meanders from domestic set-up to domestic violence, from hitman horror to ritual sacrifice.
Jay, seemingly unemployed, is under the thumb of his partner, an emasculated man following a recent breakdown. During a dinner party from hell, Jay snaps. And when his best mate offers a business proposition – a return to the game - Jay accepts. But the pair are hitmen and the kill list they’re given by an oily client leads them deeper into the heart of darkness. And backing out is a deadlier still.
At its best, Kill List simmers with barely suppressed foreboding as Jay reaches breaking point. But once the secret’s revealed, Wheatley’s direction can’t fulfil it. Instead, we get a diet of hammer-to-the-knees torture porn and a scramble through the sewers redolent of The Descent’s claustrophobic crawler violence. It’s not enough. Shot dully and grimily, there’s a leaden feel throughout. Clues meant to unsettle – what are the symbols on the back of the bathroom mirror; why do the victims say ‘thank you’ – aren’t creepy enough.
So the denouement is either obvious, laughable or both. Of course, it has to be downbeat, that’s a law with such movies. But whether it’s a shock and shudder ending or an eye-roller depends on your indulgence and whether you’ve seen real thrillers like France’s Switchblade Romance or the aforementioned Hush.
If blood, guts and a good laugh is all you want, then give it a spin. But if you’re after something scary, thought-provoking and unpredictable, save your money.
The British film industry seems stuck in a spiral of dog-eared, grungily violent films, and Kill List is another depressing entry. Ben Wheatley’s feature gives us nothing new. Lacking the sparky edge-of-seat quality of Hush, a couple of years back, or the comedy-to-horror turnaround of The Cottage, Kill List meanders from domestic set-up to domestic violence, from hitman horror to ritual sacrifice.
Jay, seemingly unemployed, is under the thumb of his partner, an emasculated man following a recent breakdown. During a dinner party from hell, Jay snaps. And when his best mate offers a business proposition – a return to the game - Jay accepts. But the pair are hitmen and the kill list they’re given by an oily client leads them deeper into the heart of darkness. And backing out is a deadlier still.
At its best, Kill List simmers with barely suppressed foreboding as Jay reaches breaking point. But once the secret’s revealed, Wheatley’s direction can’t fulfil it. Instead, we get a diet of hammer-to-the-knees torture porn and a scramble through the sewers redolent of The Descent’s claustrophobic crawler violence. It’s not enough. Shot dully and grimily, there’s a leaden feel throughout. Clues meant to unsettle – what are the symbols on the back of the bathroom mirror; why do the victims say ‘thank you’ – aren’t creepy enough.
So the denouement is either obvious, laughable or both. Of course, it has to be downbeat, that’s a law with such movies. But whether it’s a shock and shudder ending or an eye-roller depends on your indulgence and whether you’ve seen real thrillers like France’s Switchblade Romance or the aforementioned Hush.
If blood, guts and a good laugh is all you want, then give it a spin. But if you’re after something scary, thought-provoking and unpredictable, save your money.