They Will Kill You (2026) New Line/Horror-Action-Comedy RT: 94 minutes Rated R (strong bloody violence, gore, language, brief sexual content/nudity) Director: Kirill Sokolov Screenplay: Kirill Sokolov Music: Carlos Rafael Rivera Cinematography: Isaac Bauman Release date: March 27, 2026 (US) Cast: Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette, Paterson Joseph, Armando Rivera, Gabe Gabriel, James Remar (voice).
Rating: ****
They Will Kill You is the second movie in a week’s time that involves the main character being hunted by a satanic cult. It comes out right on the heels of Ready or Not 2, a more than worthy follow-up to the 2019 horror-comedy. It’s a lot of fun. So is They Will Kill You.
In fact, They Will Kill You is the better of the two. It’s a wild, gore-soaked hybrid of horror, action and comedy that serves up swordplay, Satan worship and a little bit of satire that targets the rich (who else?). Written and directed by Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die!), a Russian filmmaker making his American debut, it’s basically Kill Bill meets Evil Dead 2 by way of John Carpenter. He’s not well known here in the US, but I have a feeling that’s about to change. This is going to put Sokolov’s name on the map. He is clearly a cinematic force to be reckoned with.
The action centers on Asia Reeves (Beetz, Joker), an ex-con who shows up at the exclusive Virgil hotel in NYC to start work as a housekeeper. The superintendent Lilith (Arquette, Boyhood) gives Asia the grand tour, explaining her duties while the staff hustles and bustles all around. Naturally, there’s something Asia’s new boss isn’t telling her. Namely, everybody at the Virgil is a member of a satanic cult. They’re in need of a human sacrifice; the new hire will be just fine. But first, they have to catch her. That’s not going to easy. Asia is…. well, not what they expected.
Asia has a secret of her own. She’s not there for the work. She came to find her kid sister Maria (Myha’la, Bodies Bodies Bodies) who she hasn’t seen since she went to prison ten years earlier. She was trying to protect her from their abusive father and got busted for her efforts. Asia manages to track her down at the hotel where she’s working as a maid. It’s not what you’d call a happy family reunion.
Any and all family matters are going to have to be sidelined for now. The cult members trying to capture Asia take priority here. Now here’s where things get nuts. Asia is a bad ass. This girl can fight. On her first night, cultists sneak into her room with bad intentions. Instead of running scared, she pulls out a sword and starts slicing and slashing her way through her attackers. Limbs get lopped off; blood spurts like a geyser from their wounds. You would think that would be the end of them. NOPE! The pact they signed with their evil master grants them immortality. They’re able to reattach their missing parts (even a head!) and keep going. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I had a blast watching They Will Kill You. It never takes itself seriously. It knows what it is, a glorious gory B-movie firmly rooted in the grindhouse traditions of the 70s with visuals that look like illustrations from a graphic novel. Sokolov isn’t the least bit concerned about what some folks might think of his movie. It’s not made for film snobs or humorless critics. He’s not trying to make some deep statement about the human condition. He’s not looking to win prestigious awards. It’s pure camp and I love that. It’s for those who make a beeline for the multiplex whenever a new horror flick opens. It’s for people who regard Evil Dead 2 as a high-water mark of the genre (which it most definitely IS!). It’s for gorehounds who staunchly believe there’s no such thing as too much blood. It gives the blood cannons in Ready or Not 2 some serious competition.
Beetz makes a cool action heroine. I would love to see her character here get a franchise of her own. She’s the driving force behind They Will Kill You. I don’t know if any other actress could pull off what she does here. She’s more than just a random Final Girl; she’s THE GIRL as in the girl you don’t want to f*** with. Myha’la is also good as the sister who might possibly be more involved with her colleagues than Asia thinks. Arquette, sporting a believable Irish brogue, camps it up mightily as the main antagonist. She’s bolstered by a solid supporting cast that includes Heather Graham (Boogie Nights), Tom Felton (the Harry Potter movies) and the voice of James Remar (48 Hrs.).
The fight scenes are brilliantly choreographed. They’re frenzied but controlled. The blood spray effects are incredible. This aspect of They Will Kill You definitely brings to mind the Crazy 88 fight from Kill Bill. The family drama is there, but it doesn’t overshadow the action. It drives it. And yes, it takes a few well-deserved digs at the overprivileged 1% and their callous attitude towards those on the low rungs of the economic ladder.
It’s been a surprisingly good year for movies so far. They Will Kill You is probably my favorite of the year as of this writing. It’s just so much fun. In the end, isn’t this why we go to the movies?
