‘They Will Kill You’ is a brilliant parody of horror genre
The slasher is a painfully funny tale of abandonment, sacrifice and forgiveness.
For fans of:
“Scream” (1996), “Beetlejuice” (1988), “Lord of the Flies” (1990)
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By NINA KREMER
Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) is a fighter, but who can blame her? She shoots her abusive father to save her sister Maria (Myha’la), and 10 years later, Asia is knocking on the door of a satanic temple, trying to find Maria.
“They Will Kill You,” which releases this Friday, is not like any other horror story. The final girl is not a victim with a shrill, haunting scream, she’s a force to be reckoned with. The film takes the typical conventions of the horror genre and subverts them. It continuously challenges expectations, leaving viewers consistently shocked by its twists, turns and the almost comedic tone it takes.
From the moment Asia steps through the threshold of the satanic building, The Virgil, something seems off. The interior is like any other New York City high-rise with its midcentury modern decor and vibrant color palette, but the violently sharp corners of its furniture suggest something sinister may lie within these walls.
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On her first night as a live-in housekeeper, after being led to her room by building manager Lily (Patricia Arquette), Asia misses an important message left for her in the steam on the bathroom mirror: “THEY WILL KILL YOU.” And boy, do they try.
A man in a grim reaper-like robe licking her toes kicks off the film, and it does not get any less weird from then on.
The reaper is not alone; several comrades join him in his attempt to drag Asia to hell. When they remove their hoods, Asia recognizes them as the residents of The Virgil. She fights them off, one by one, doing real damage and chopping off Kevin’s (Tom Felton) head. From the first shocking decapitation, it’s clear that this film is not attempting to be earnest as heads explode, hands are chopped off and eyeballs roll around on the floor.
But no matter what happens, they keep getting back up. It becomes immediately clear that these villains are not going to be easily defeated; they’re immortal, and they demand a sacrifice.
Blood and gore are present throughout the film as heads are decapitated and exploded, hands are chopped off and eyeballs roll around on the floor. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The sound design clues the audience in that the film is taking an intentionally kooky, over-the-top turn as loud thumping notes emphasize the dire situation Asia has found herself in.
The cinematography adds to this chaos the camera whips quickly around scenes, zooming in and out of the action, or, in contrast, at times in slow motion. Point-of-view shots, a hallmark of horror, are also religiously employed to create the feeling of being watched. Tracking shots follow Asia through the high-rise as she is relentlessly pursued.
When Asia is finally reunited with Maria, Asia finds she’s the newest member of this insane cult. After being forced to either kill or be killed, Maria decided to become a maid at the high-rise for all eternity. Asia must not only save her sister from the bloodthirsty richfolk, she must save Maria’s soul before she gives it over.
The dialogue is quite simple, serving as necessary exposition and advancing the plot throughout, but not executed incredibly artfully. Instead, impressive and comedically dynamic action sequences sometimes run a little long, at times challenging the sisterly bond — the heart of the story — for screentime.
There are clearly a lot of references here to other classic horror franchises, such as “Scream,” as the killers discuss their dirty deeds in sarcastic tones, plotting together. Another film that comes to mind is “Beetlejuice” (1988), as Asia shoots off a character’s head — one needs to hide their head around this girl — and it grows back slowly, resembling a familiar shrunken head.
When the guests finally capture the sisters, they take them to see their Lord — a pig’s head possessed by the devil, naturally. It’s time for the sisters to make a choice: sell their souls to the devil or sacrifice themselves. And Asia unravels the final mystery — she is not just any sacrifice, she’s Maria’s. In order for Maria to survive and join the immortal, she needs to kill Asia, finally bringing the tension between the sisters to a head.
It would have been nice to get to know the antagonists a bit more to understand why it is that they chose immortality over humanity, killing to keep themselves alive forever. The aggressors themselves, though the driving force of the story, are allotted little screen time aside from their participation in the violence, which leaves much to be desired in the way of motivation.
Aside from the number of bodies buried, part of what distinguishes different subgenres of horror from each other, such as a slasher versus a thriller, is the amount of insight into the mind of the antagonist. If the villain is given a backstory, maybe even a little sympathy, it makes the violence even more terrifying. But this film is neither — it’s a comedy, a horror and, above all, a family drama.
In the end, the spectacle of the fight sequences doesn’t outweigh the substance of the narrative. The development of the relationship between the Reaves sisters is touching as they wrestle with their childhood trauma, their complicated dynamic and how to escape the mess they’ve gotten themselves into. The message comes through all of the blood and gore: Don’t make a deal with the devil.
Clarification: A previous version of this article stated that Asia Reaves, the protagonist of the film “They Will Kill You,” killed her father. The article was updated April 2 at 7:50 p.m. to reflect that though she shot him, she did not kill him; he later died from cancer.
