‘They Will Kill You’ Review: Zazie Beetz’s Final Girl Slays in Gonzo Satanic Slasher [B+] SXSW
They Will Kill You is living proof that when it comes to horror movies and action movies, you really don’t have to reinvent the wheel for the audience to have a good time. Writer/director Kirill Sokolov, along with co-writer Alex Litvak, makes efficient use of the familiar but welcome high-rise building, ripe with action set pieces room to room, floor to floor.
Our heroine is Asia Reeves (Zazie Beetz), who answers a help wanted ad to be a housekeeper in this high-rise, called “The Virgil.” Already, we’re wondering why she’s here. But one thing is for certain, she overlooked why they took her in. After missing a warning written on the bathroom mirror just for her (hence the movie title), Asia discovers real quick that this building houses a satanic cult, ready to sacrifice her.
But just as quickly, Sokolov flips the script over its head. Asia came prepared, with shotgun and machete. Turns out that after she abandoned her little sister Maria (Myha’la) to their abusive father (a choice she deeply regrets, as shown in the opening scene), she has spent the next ten years tracking her sister down, in the hopes of saving her and bringing her back. Given their family history, Asia expected the building to house scumbags, which is why she brought weapons. But a cult full of Satan worshippers who have gained immortality? Fuck that, fuck them, and fuck this.
Asia’s reaction to this whole batshit situation already sells half of the entire movie. Beetz not only gives an incredibly physical performance, but she effortlessly delivers that visceral disbelief and confusion as to what’s happening around her. I mean, if you were to decapitate someone, and you watch them graphically connect their head back together, you’d probably lose your mind too. And that’s essentially the “twist” to this single location action movie: it’s got a body count where the people can’t die.
With that comes a fun, dark privilege. You get to come up with not one but multiple creative deaths for the same character, and it allows a ton of room for the film to dial everything up to eleven. Blood squirts in that hilarious water sprinkler fashion, reminiscent of Tarantino’s Kill Bill and the gonzo action films of the 70s that inspired it. Full of practical effects and excellent makeup work, the film maintains a confident style that doesn’t take itself too seriously, sometimes veering into silly territory. Fans of Evil Dead (the Sam Raimi ones) will have a ton of fun at the sheer absurdity and creativity on display. Let’s just say an eyeball steals the show.
It also helps that the entire supporting cast is in the mood to play. Patricia Arquette is having fun as the building’s wealthy superintendent, while Heather Graham and Tom Felton allow themselves to be delightfully unhinged, as they play cult members who get progressively angrier as they die repeatedly to Beetz’ Asia.
Where the film is unavoidably light on is its writing. It takes little time to flesh out the sister relationship between Asia and Maria – not enough for us to fully be invested, but just enough so that the movie can function from one set piece to another. As for the concept of the building being run by rich tenants, where the help consists fully of people of color, I’m not entirely sure if They Will Kill You has anything substantial to say aside from the mainstream and easy “eat the rich” slogan.
Those shortcomings are easy to forgive, however, when the film is unabashedly championing the style over the substance. Every fight scene is choreographed in its own unique way, almost like each one is paying homage to a unique type of action movie, going from hack and slash to martial arts punching and kicking. Cinematographer Isaac Bauman delivers swooping wide shots, allowing us to see every action, while keeping a level of freedom of improvisation on where the camera could go, if they felt like moving it there. In similar fashion to the John Wick movies, They Will Kill You delivers its action with a confidence that they have nothing to hide. No need for close-ups or bad editing to mask what they couldn’t pull off. It’s comforting to see action where you can feel that you’re in good hands.
The movie just never lets up on its twists and turns, down to the third act where a certain practical effect character (mixed with CGI) takes things to such a batshit level, the commitment to the bit has to be commended. It’s one of the best “are we doing this? Oh my god, we’re actually doing this” kind of moment in an action movie, and I applaud the swing.
The setup may be familiar, but They Will Kill You plays with its satanic premise with gleeful violence and just the right amount of silliness. The result is something straightforward but irresistible. You will laugh and scream and clap, as you take in this hellish roller coaster that never slows down once it takes off. Meanwhile, we have a new scream queen badass in town. All hail Zazie Beetz.
Grade: B+
This review is from the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. Warner Bros and New Line Cinema will release They Will Kill You in theaters on March 27.
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