I did not have high hopes for They Will Kill You. The trailers came across as corny and unrefined. While those observations didn't prove to be wrong, it is still surprisingly enjoyable. This movie is very silly and unrealistic, usually riding a very slim line between being a lot of fun and just simply absurd. However, it doesn't often cross into the latter, making that silliness and unrealistic nature what holds this movie up.
I'll start with the negatives with this first, as they all seem to boil down to one fundamental: the writing. This movie seems to focus a lot more on action and cool moments rather than any compelling story. Luckily, the action is good enough to almost justify it. Almost.
Secondly, there are many points where the exposition is handed to us in some of the worst ways possible. A lot of the first act is comprised of a lot of the single worst vehicle for exposition, being one character explaining something to another, which they both already know. This isn't exclusive to the first act, even though it's most prevalent there. We see this especially in the first 10 minutes, in which the two sisters are escaping their abusive father, 10 years before the events of the movie.
I really didn't think any sort of death had any significance whatsoever, at any point in the movie. Obviously, I don't expect them to dwell on every individual death of the 200 immortal maids as if they're family, but even something like Asia killing her own father at the start felt like it didn't really affect her much. There was no hesitation or remorse for what had just happened. While, yes, it was her abusive father whom she wanted to see dead and whose death was definitely justified, she still took a life which would be hard for anybody, no matter who they are.
Speaking of Asia's father, I would've loved to have seen his backstory developed slightly more; it felt somewhat lazy on that front. The most we really got to hint at the extent of the abuse they went through was Maria, Asia's sister, saying, "he beat the shit out of me". While any details of the abuse aren't directly relevant to the main plot, they would inform both Asia and Maria's characters quite a lot, including a more detailed reasoning as to why Maria chose the life she did.
Once in the hotel, there were some very clear hints towards a eugenics subplot, with a lot of very obvious undertones. For example, Lily says they usually pick up 'undesirables' as sacrifices. However, these ideas were unfortunately never delved into at all, being pretty much completely forgotten about by the second act.
While the writing isn't exactly 'up to par', there is a lot to love about this movie. A very interesting detail, to me, was the way that the camera moves, because it did feel surprisingly thought-out and motivated. Once she arrives at the hotel, Asia is often framed completely alone in wide shots, usually in the middle of the frame, giving you a sense of unease throughout the entire first act, as well as part of the second. Another thing is that the fight sequences have the camera moving quite a considerable amount, simply displaying the absolute carnage unfolding on screen, while also highlighting the incredible fight choreography and making the audience feel like they're in the scene.
This movie, especially in the third act, seems to take a lot of inspiration from mid-20th century Japanese cinema, as well as some anime, with a lot of the camera movement and action in the many fight scenes. It feels a lot like Kill Bill and likely also takes inspiration from that, as well as Tarantino's camerawork as a whole. There are a few very obvious influences from Akira Kurosawa, such as the unnatural use of katanas and the extreme blood squibs. This all leans into it being quite silly, but it's simply just fun to watch and exactly what a movie like this calls for.
By the end, this movie really goes off the rails, ending with Asia swordfighting the devil, who's possessing a severed pig head and controlling the body of a woman. While this sounds like it would tip over to the absurd side, I actually think this perfectly encapsulates everything that the movie is. If you don't think about it too much and just let it all happen, you'll have a lot of fun with this movie.
No AI was used in this article.