Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat stages impressive action sequences in his ambitious thriller. Here’s our Kill review.
Like most action films these days, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Kill takes a healthy amount of inspiration from the John Wick franchise. The narrative follows a wronged man who becomes a demon-like figure in his quest for vengeance, but Kill sets itself apart with brutal action that’s enough to make even Keanu Reeves wince in pain.
Army commando Amrit (Lakshya) discovers his one true love Tulika is to marry another man, and boards a train with Tulika’s family on board in a desperate attempt to proclaim his love for her. Unfortunately, the same train is boarded by a ruthless family of bandits, leading to a violent showdown between the involved parties.
Kill admittedly doesn’t do anything to disrupt a worn and familiar narrative, with Bhat smartly focusing on the action. The story might be thin, but what the film lacks in that department, it more than makes up with the bone-crunching sequences which find Amrit fighting his way through a packed train.
While stylistically John Wick was sleeker and moodier, Kill borrows a page from The Raid’s book with its visuals. Both Kill and Gareth Evans’ grimy, ultraviolent Indonesian action flick used a singular setting and a no-nonsense approach to the story. There’s no extra fat around Kill’s bones, but plenty of meat for a full (and very violent) feast.
Unsurprisingly, an English-language remake has already been announced with John Wick director Chad Stahelski overseeing the production. It remains to be seen if an American remake is able to go to the lengths of Kill; this is a film where people get slashed, sliced and crushed at a remarkable pace. It’s hard to imagine an American remake could repeat the violent delights of Bhat’s film, which is arriving in cinemas with an 18 rating.
It’s specifically that pace that makes Kill so thrilling. Bhat’s film moves as fast as the train the action is set on, never stopping or slowing down for needless character development or plot twists. The narrative unfolds exactly as you’d imagine and in this rare case, that’s a compliment. Bhat knows exactly why we’ve bought a ticket and serves the violence on a blood-splattered silver platter.
Interestingly, the film’s title only appears 45 minutes into the film. It represents a turn in Amrit as he goes from survival mode to full-on revenge. Amrit becomes a man possessed by the need to not just kill Fani, the sadistic leader of the bandits, but to hurt all of them as much as possible.
What’s most impressive about Kill is how the gory spectacle of violence is shot and presented. Whereas in John Wick 4, John Wick appeared as an almost superhuman being who could easily fall off a building and simply walk away, Bhat really makes us feel each punch and stab. Amrit is visibly hurt, bloodied, but blindly driven by his need for revenge and everyone seems expendable here.
Bhat’s film is at its weakest when it enforces some well-worn tropes of the genre. Tulika’s character especially is thinly written and a cliché. The beginning of the film, which mostly gives us the basics of Amrit and Tulika’s relationship, feels a little too melodramatic, especially against the lean, economical filmmaking during the action scenes.
But Kill is still excellent entertainment. It might very well be this year’s most brutal action film. Filled with committed, compelling performances and expertly crafted action scenes, Kill offers something rare; an action film where the stakes truly feel high.
Kill is in UK cinemas 5th July.