Kill List

Kill List

2011-09-02 1h 35m NR
Horror Thriller Crime
6.2
User Score
814 votes

"Who’s next?"

Overview

Nearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.

Ben Wheatley

Director

Amy Jump

Writer

Top Billed Cast

Movie Details

Status

Released

Original Language

en

Budget

$500,000

Revenue

$450,275

Runtime

1h 35m

Release Date

2011-09-02

Recommendations

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

2015-11-02T20:03:07.294Z

Sometimes God's love can be hard to swallow. A super slice of sub-urban horror crafted by Ben Wheatley, Kill List blends a number of classic British films but still remains very much its own beast. And what a beast it is. Part hit-man thriller and part Wicker Man pagan horror, plot spins hit-man for hire Jay (Neil Maskell) out of his troubled domestic funk, into a world of pain and misery. Taking on a job, he, along with his partner Gal (Michael Smiley), is given a list of names for them to track and terminate. The people and the places they confront are the darkest kind, which brings out Jay's black heart as well. All this while lurking around the edges of the frame is something mysterious, something that will bring Jay to his destiny. There is a rawness to Kill List that strikes hard, a sort of real life documentary feel that marries up with the black material to chill the bones. It's proud of its grimness, even what humour exists within just feels like damaged goods. The sound and camera work gleefully add to the unsettling atmosphere, tactics which help alleviate the feeling that we are once again watching a formulaic British thriller with ideas above its station. But then the curve ball arrives and hits you on the head, bringing dizzy spells and some delirium. Which builds to a finale that will either leave you breathless or angry, but either way Kill List will not be ignored. Impressively performed by the cast, mounted with skill by Wheatley, this is a dark hearted British treasure that hopefully in time will be afforded the praise it deserves. 8/10

tmdb15435519

tmdb15435519

2021-04-26T16:32:53.500Z

A bit tough to understand on the first watch, yet gripping and a compelling portrayal of inner demons. But seriously, are the British the only film-makers who can make a decent crime/thriller film??