Zazie Beetz kicks absolute butt in They Will Kill You. It’s a blood-soaked, bonkers, practical-effects-filled horror blast you have to see in theaters.
I am obsessed with They Will Kill You. From the second the lights dimmed, I knew I was in for a wild ride, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much of a fantastic time at the movies this movie actually is. It is high-octane, blood-soaked, and carries that specific Ready or Not energy that I absolutely crave – where the stakes are life-or-death but the vibe runs on pure adrenaline.
One of my favorite things about this film is the way it showcases kickass women. All too often in the horror or action genres, you get one final girl surrounded by a sea of disposable male characters. They Will Kill You flips that script entirely. We get a massive ensemble of well-written female characters who aren’t just there to fill space, they are there to fight.
At its core, this is a sister story, and I am always a sucker for that emotional hook. Zazie Beetz is a revelation here. She proves herself as a formidable action star, handling the intense samurai-influenced choreography with ease while still delivering the sharp, dry comedy we love her for. Watching her navigate the Virgil – a demonic cult’s death-trap lair – just to save her sister (played by the incredible Myha’la) gave the movie a grounded heart amidst the absolute chaos.
I adore Patricia Arquette in everything she does, but wow, she is clearly having the time of her life in They Will Kill You. Her character has her reasons for what she is doing, and she’s sticking to them. In her own twisted way, she’s just trying to protect her family too. When you have actors like Arquette, Tom Felton, and Heather Graham all understanding exactly what kind of movie they are in, the result is pure magic.
If you’re a fan of practical effects, you’re going to lose your mind. I can’t even imagine how messy and bloody this set must have been. The film wears its influences on its sleeve – there is a heavy Sam Raimi and Evil Dead vibe in the way the gore is handled. It’s inventive, it’s gross, and it’s gloriously over-the-top.
The producers, Andy and Barbara Muschietti, bring their signature fun horror vibes to the project, partnering with writer/director Kirill Sokolov to create something that feels like a love letter to the genre. It hits the ground running and never lets up. Thankfully we don’t have to wait an hour for the plot to kick in, which is always a pet peeve of mine. The action sequences start early and escalate until a third act that is, quite frankly, absolutely bonkers.
The technical elements – the editing, the score, and some truly unforgettable needle drops – all harmonize to keep the energy at an eleven. It knows exactly what it is: a fun, gore-filled, insane romp that doesn’t try to over-intellectualize its premise. It embraces the insanity of a demonic cult and asks the audience to just come along for the ride.
They Will Kill You is also scary when it needs to be, providing genuine jump scares at the start. This is the kind of movie that begs to be seen in a packed theater with an audience that has no idea what’s coming next. The collective gasps and cheers during the more creative kills are what moviegoing is all about.
They Will Kill You is a unique, blood-drenched blast that manages to honor the classics while carving out its own identity. I’m already planning my second trip to the theater.
About They Will Kill You
They Will Kill You unleashes a blood-soaked, high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a young woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen, big screen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor.
They Will Kill You played at SXSW 2026.
