“Kill List” — Read Along
“You shouldn’t shout at Mummy”.
I concluded my original 2012 spoiler free review of “Kill List” by proclaiming it as my “Blair Witch Project of the decade so far” as well as one of my favourite films, albeit from an extraordinarily long list, of 2011. Now a decade later, Ben Wheatley’s second all-time directed film of ten and follow up to 2009’s incredible “Down Terrace” resides comfortably in my lengthening list of favourite films of all time and like its cinematic predecessor has a final 15–20 minutes of outright claustrophobic terror and heart shaking horror that continues to shatter me on every re-watch. Whereas “Down Terrace” may leave you with your jaw on the floor come its crunching denouement, “Kill List” builds to an almost unexplainable ending wrapped in allusions to the “Wicker Man”, blood oaths and contracts, two disturbed hit-men in way over their heads and a final few frames of film that are as horrific and disturbing as I’ve ever seen.
How’s that for a spoiler free taster of a nice and easy film to watch!
Now that I’ve given you a flavour for how I end this now decade’s old review of a truly brilliant and shocking film, here’s the opening paragraphs of my original 2012 review followed by link(s) to the entirety of this original review, a much longer and in depth opus blog article on the first six films in the career of director Ben Wheatley, a link to my 7 volumes of “Essential Film Reviews Collection” on Amazon where you’ll find “Kill List” within volume 3 and both my Youtube and Rumble channel readings of my review direct to camera. This is after all a “Read Along” article whereby I ask you to, well, read along with me as I read my review! The recording is one of my better ones despite my “Take 666” joke at the beginning, as well as bringing back the tagline of my Blackford Book Club Youtube channel being:
“The only BBC you’re ever gonna need!”
And it is.
And if you don’t read along with me, leaving complimentary comments on my channel, subscribing and perhaps even delving into my oh so “essential” film reviews collection on Amazon, you might find Emma Fryer carving a symbol on the back of a mirror in your bathroom, watching you from the other side of the street or worse still, smiling at you in the middle of a dark forest lit only by torches amid the smell of a horrific death ritual.
You have been warned.
At just 95 minutes long, this horror/thriller has damn near everything. The scene is set from the very first shot, very first look, and the film is unrelenting until the final scene. It’s difficult to classify as a horror/thriller as it’s so much more than that and even after several re-viewings it still surprises with the touches you missed the first time which are more evident, yet still you see something, and yet another piece of the puzzle on further viewings. Not strictly a three act structure, more a fluid film weaving a narrative between the main characters. I’ll briefly appraise the opening act, fully explore part of act two and leave the rest to your imaginations and hopefully your DVD and Blu Ray players.
It’s a film that simply must be seen.
“Jay” (Neil Maskell) has been out of work for nine months and with money problems mounting, this is clearly affecting his relationship with wife “Shel” (MyAnna Buring), as is very starkly demonstrated by their furious arguments followed by awkward and unconvincing reconciliations. The tension is always evident and with subtle jump cuts even within a simple series of scenes (a tearful telephone call cuts to a slow motion play fight with rubber swords and shields), an air of dread and tension continues and we quickly arrive at the pre-arranged evening dinner party with friends “Gal” (Michael Smiley) and “Fiona” (Emma Fryer). A fractious dinner party ensues, always bubbling with innuendo, caustic wit, accusations and an unrelenting tension that finally snaps before a gear changing “breather” scene drains away the tension, to be replaced by a proposition from Gal.
A kill list is available: 3 targets. Big money.
Towards the end of Act One another “breather” scene is brilliantly played, equal parts terrifying and funny, there follows a contract that is quite literally signed in blood and Jay and Gal prepare for their first kill professionally and meticulously and not “as gang bangers…..in a hail of bullets”. The kill list is made up of three individual targets and the film pronounces these targets with simple slides before each contract kill, “The Priest”, “The Librarian” and “The MP”. Here is my dissection of The Priest:
Staking out a picturesque church from their car, Jay and Gal approach the church and another of the film’s themes is used again, that of a scene continuing quickly with jump cuts and continued dialogue becoming a short narration. This time it’s Gal as he protests “For the record, I’ve hardly done any terrible shit” as they break into the church we cut quickly to the Priest continuing his ceremony, a pattern of constant cutting back and forth between the two scenarios is set, however the audio from each scene has been replaced by a mournful orchestral track which is also replaced with a sinister “hum” as the Priest packs away the last of his Bibles.
Gal crosses himself (Jay in background with nonchalant stare at the door) before they both prepare their killing zone, methodically and professionally. The Priest enters his office slightly bemused at the see through plastic covering the entirety of his desk area and with a faint but frightened smile sees Jay pointing a pistol directly at him. “Turn Round” is the order from Jay, with a simple “Thank You” response from The Priest.
With no expression from either Gal or Jay, the body is unceremoniously dumped from a height, bundled quickly into their waiting car and burnt at an incinerator. “Why do you think he had that smile on his face?” enquires Gal to which Jay dismissively replies “Probably at peace, you know”. The scene itself continues but rather than continue in detail, I’ll note a continuing theme of the film and that of the nature of the killers themselves. The scene continues with Jay and Gal checking into yet another hotel, another bland, soulless, and crucially, low key hotel. Their preparations and discussions are seen, a monotonous grind of every day interactions within a low key hotel room juxtaposed against a life away from which are anything but monotonous or unremarkable. The same can be said for the other main characters, both of whom have a duality of character not always visible, but this theme is a constant throughout the film. All characters have a matter of fact nature about them, an ends justifies the means Machiavellian response which can often unnerve you.
"Ben Wheatley and 6 highly recommended British films"
"The Essential Film Reviews Collection" Vol.3
So now dear reader you have a choice: You can either
(a) Read my entire review of this film via the first link above
(b) Then read my opus blog article on the films of Ben Wheatley
(c) Watch either of my Youtube or Rumble channel videos of my reading of my own review of Kill List, hence the “Read Along” moniker.
or (d) Treat yourself to any combination of the above or even (e) disappear to pastures new within our collective electrical Matrix.
Oh, and (f) There’s a link above to Volume 3 of my exhaustive 7 volumes of “Essential Film Reviews Collection” packaged in my e-book and Kindle series on Amazon and where you’ll find my review of Kill List. All free to read if you have an Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” package.
Bless you for reading.
Thanks for reading. If you like the premise of this absurd idea of “Read Along”, then you might also enjoy:
"Children of Men" - Read Along