With Ben Wheatley's recent achievement Sightseers garnering critical acclaim, I thought I'd seek out and review his previous effort Kill List. The story revolves around a hit man Jay (Neil Maskell) and his family as he is tempted to take on a new assignment with a promise of a large reward. Things are not as simple as they seem. Jay is still trying to recover from a botched job and it takes some convincing from his old buddy to take up the job offer. With little or no money and his feeling of inadequacy and uselessness at home as the main provider, Jay takes up the offer. As the plot unravels the assignments are not as simple as they seem.
What this film does (very cleverly) is to incorporate an intense drama into a criminal thriller. The first half an hour plays out like a normal (but very intense) domestic story about a frustrated man and his family. There's a air of simmering tension as a dinner party fast turns into a slanging match whilst the guest are still present resulting in a violent outburst.
As the tension builds and builds, you feel that things are never going to go smoothly. Jay's tendency to snap at any given moment makes his character like a lit firework waiting to explode. On the assignments, it's clear from the outset that these kills are not the usual jobs they take on. When they try to uncover the reasons for the killings they unearth a nightmare they were not ready for nor expecting.
Without giving too much away, there is a sharp turn in narrative and style. In the last third all hell breaks loose and the film becomes almost horror like in terms of atmosphere and aesthetics. There are hints and clues as ever more weirder events occur and even if you can see what is about to happen, it is still brutal.
The violence won't be for everyone as skulls are smashed and many savage and unrestrained shootings emerge throughout the journey of the two hit men. The style of the film is shot very naturalistic, with low level lighting, simple editing and the action captured through one camera so many of the composition is immediate and grants the film a grittiness and realism. In a way it some times feels like a ambitious TV movie. This isn't a criticism, it tricks you into thinking it's small scale film but with it's ideas and vision it is much more.
A brilliant low budget Brit flick which showcases Ben Wheatley as a emerging talent to watch out for. The film successfully pulls off three genres with an ever present feeling of terror throughout. A film that pulls the wool over your eyes with it's contrasting styles in terms of narrative and tone. Thoroughly recommended.
Acting: 4/5
Technical Merit: 3.5/5
Narrative: 4/5
Entertainment: 4/5
15.5/20
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