They Will Kill You Is a Bloody Fun Thrill Ride

This review is based on a screening from the SXSW Film & TV Festival. They Will Kill You opens in theaters March 27. Kirill Sokolov’s terrific They Will Kill You, a modern action gem whose stellar fight sequences are brought to life with kinetic stunt performances and captivating camerawork, is the year’s best action discovery thus far. It’s an unabashedly gonzo, gruesome, and gutsy reminder of what truly great mainstream action cinema can feel like when it’s willing to take some bigger swings. Much like Sokolov’s previous work – especially the excellent 2018 film, Why Don't You Just Die! – it’s got a bold mean streak that sees characters being eviscerated in wildly inventive ways just as it ends up finding more of a surprisingly emotional heart hidden underneath all the bloody viscera it throws at the wall. It’s a film that’s clearly reverential of both Kill Bill and what that was drawing from, just as it carves out its own territory by injecting a more familiar set-up with a joyous jolt of satanic supernatural horror pulp. Perhaps most importantly, it also marks the arrival of a new action star in lead Zazie Beetz. Though Beetz is no stranger to action movies, having appeared in