Prepare yourself! They Will Kill You is the kind of movie that kicks the door in, paints the walls with arterial spray, and then cracks a wicked grin while making you clean up the mess. Directed by Kirill Sokolov and co-written with Alex Litvak, this blood-soaked horror-action-comedy is as relentless as its title promises—and somehow even much more fun than it has any right to be.
The film drops us into the chaotic world of Asia Reeves (Zazie Beetz, Deadpool 2, Joker), a recently released ex-con who served a decade behind bars for shooting her abusive father. That backstory alone – featured in the film’s opening moments – gives the film a raw emotional tone, but Sokolov wastes zero time pivoting into full-throttle madness. When Asia learns that her younger sister Maria (Myha’la, TV’s “Modern Love”) is being held captive as a maid at The Virgil, a luxurious New York City residence that practically screams “nothing good happens here,” she infiltrates the building under the guise of a new hire.
From the moment Asia steps inside, welcomed by the eerily guised and mysterious staff manager Lily (Patricia Arquette), the film begins to hum with unease. The Virgil is less a hotel and more a labyrinthine death trap, its walls, quite literally, breathe with menace. And before you can say “OSHA violation,” Asia is under attack by a cabal of pig-headed, black-cloaked cultists who apparently skipped the subtlety seminar and went straight to ritual sacrifice 101.
What follows is essentially a one-woman war against a demonic cult… and Asia came prepared. Like, really prepared! If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if someone packed for a trip using only tools from the “sharp objects” aisle at a hardware store, this movie has your answer. Knives, shivs, swords, and machetes. Asia slices, dices, and dismembers her way through wave after wave of would-be killers, turning The Virgil into a playground of body parts and blood-soaked carnage.
Sokolov, making his English-language film debut, shows absolutely zero hesitation when it comes to pushing boundaries. The violence here isn’t just over-the-top. It pole-vaults, does a backflip, and lands in a pool of blood with a glorious splash. Heads roll (literally), limbs fly (literally), and eyeballs crawl (yes, literally. You have to see it to believe it). The production team most certainly wiped out the supply of corn syrup and red #5 food dye in Cape Town, South Africa, where it was filmed. And yet, somehow, it’s all delivered with a devilish sense of humor that keeps the film from becoming campy or falling under its own excess.
Comparisons to the Kill Bill films are inevitable, particularly in its fierce female empowerment and stylized action, while the unflinching brutality calls to mind Oldboy and the Evil Dead films. But make no mistake: this is 100% the Sokolov show. His blend of chaos, dark comedy, and visual inventiveness is on full display, and he clearly delights in seeing just how far he can push both his characters and his audience.
At the center of it all is Beetz, who absolutely owns the screen. Performing many of her own stunts, she brings a physicality and badassery to her Asia that makes every punch, stab, and narrow escape feel earned. Yes, the enemy line up in single-file to take their arse-whooping, but Beetz is equal parts action hero and deadpan comedian, navigating the film’s tonal shifts with impressive ease. Whether she’s dispatching cultists or reacting to the sheer absurdity of her situation, Beetz keeps us firmly on her side. Think Pam Grier and you will be on the right track.
There’s even a playful cameo from Heather Graham that adds to the film’s mischievous charm. A wink to the audience that says, “Yes, we know exactly what kind of movie this is.”
Beneath the bloodshed, Sokolov and Litvak weave in some themes of classism, elitism, missing and exploited children, and female empowerment, but the film never lingers too long on the heavy stuff when there are more bodies to drop. This isn’t prestige cinema, and it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead, it’s a gleefully unhinged ride that prioritizes entertainment above all else.
They Will Kill You may not be awards bait, but it might just be the most outrageously fun time you’ll have at the movies this year—provided you don’t mind a little (or a lot of) blood on your popcorn.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 94 mins
Director: Kirill Sokolov
Writer: Alex Litvak; Kirill Sokolov
Cast: Zazie Beetz; Patricia Arquette; Heather Graham
Genre: Horror | Dark Comedy
Tagline: Let Them Try
Memorable Movie Quote: "Our offering is on the loose, be on the lookout. I just dropped her picture in the group chat."
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site:
Release Date: March, 27, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building's history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery.
