KILL LIST (2011) Director: Ben Wheatley Writers: Amy Jump; Ben Wheatley Cast: Neil Maskell; MyAnna Buring; Michael Smiley; Emma Fryer Eight months after a botched job, hitman Jay (Neil Maskell) accepts a new assignment. On the surface, it is a simple one – three killings, with the promise of a massive payoff at the end. Teamed with best friend and old army buddy Gal (Michael Smiley), Jay’s seemingly easy task spirals out of control. You’d be forgiven for feeling misled by the title of the film at the start – for the first twenty minutes, we’re essentially watching a very credible kitchen-sink drama, the sort you’d expect from the Loaches and Leigh’s of this world. This then evolves into a taut thriller, before descending into what can only be described as a horror. The film shifts between these genres seamlessly, with the assured writing and direction of a man who understands genre well enough to subvert it. By the end of the film, I was left scratching my head as to what I’d just seen. Just when you think you know where the film might be heading, you are swept off your feet as the film changes directions drastically. The only constant is probably the frighteningly haunting background score. It never allows the sense of dread to leave you, to its benefit. What I really love about the movie as a whole is that director Ben Wheatley’s influences seem to come from British cinema of the past, and not anything being done across the pond. You could easily make comparisons to ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ and ‘The Wicker Man’, while the unabashed and brutal (BRUTAL) violence reminded me of early Guy Ritchie. The leads are incredible, by the way. I’d never seen Neil Maskell before (he’s in Channel 4’s ‘Utopia’ apparently), so he was a revelation for me here. Jay is a emotionally damaged wreck of a man, scary when he is trying to suppress his rage and endearing when he plays with his son. Maskell handles it all brilliantly well. Smiley is an excellent right hand man – somehow, he manages to be a moral force, as much as their job will allow. I think it’s the supporting cast who probably let the film down. Fair enough, there aren’t too many other actors in the film, but they just didn’t cut the mustard for me. However, what you’re watching this movie for is the excellent, unpredictable story, and Neil Maskell’s performance at the front. This is a must-see movie and Ben Wheatley is a director to pay attention to. He has become a very prominent name in British cinema over the last few years. ‘Down Terrace’ was the shoestring-budget debut that put him on the scene, but ‘Kill List’ is the breakthrough critical success. And it’s absolutely bloody brilliant.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 20:54:18 +0000