Kill Bill meets Evil Dead: Our META review of They Will Kill You
We'll show you what this wild mix of genres has to offer!
"Deadpool" star Zazie Beetz is back – and this time it gets really bloody! In "They Will Kill You", director Kirill Sokolov sends us to a classy New York hotel, behind whose chic façade a real nightmare lurks. The result: plenty of action! Find out whether the wild ride is worth it and what the international press thinks in our KinoCheck META review.
A merciless chase: the less you know, the better
A little tip right from the start: the less you know about the movie, the better. The story has a few tricks and surprises up its sleeve that are best experienced with as little bias as possible. Just this much: Zazie Beetz plays Asia Reaves, who gets a supposed job as a housekeeper in a mysterious hotel. But as soon as her suitcases are unpacked, a group of Satanists start hunting her down.
Find out for yourself why Asia, of all people, is being targeted and what else the cult is up to in the cinema from March 27, 2026. But one thing we can already say: "They Will Kill You" is a lot of fun, mainly due to the wild genre mix and the brutal action scenes.
A bloody cocktail of great role models
Right from the start, it is clear that the film is a declaration of love to the action cinema of Quentin Tarantino and the grotesque horror of Sam Raimi. As soon as it gets down to business, the exaggerated violence and chic staging of the fight choreographies are reminiscent of the bride's revenge campaign in "Kill Bill".
The handmade splatter effects are wonderfully exaggerated, creative and exude a charm reminiscent of the good old "Evil Dead" days. When the camera whips through the corridors at breakneck speed and the blood splashes around in fountains, you can feel how much attention to detail has gone into the movie. And just when you think you've seen it all, the movie throws out a finale that is already one of the most absurd things to flicker across the screen this year.
Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com takes a completely different view. According to him, the different influences come at the expense of the film's own identity:
"Comic books, video games, Tarantino, Raimi – 'They Will Kill You' starts to feel like an unholy hybrid of so many influences that it lacks its own personality."
Zazie Beetz in absolute top form
The biggest plus point is undoubtedly Zazie Beetz. The actress is convincing across the board - both physically and emotionally. In terms of presence, she is a more than worthy successor to action icons such as Uma Thurman or Pam Grier. The villains, especially "Harry Potter" star Tom Felton, unfortunately remain rather pale and serve more as cannon fodder. There would definitely have been more to it, especially because the cult is actually the driving force behind the story.
Siddhant Adlakha from Variety goes one step further. According to him, the weak antagonists ensure that our main character's act of revenge is not particularly entertaining:
"Meanwhile, the movie's villains – played by recognizable faces, among them Heather Graham and Tom Felton – get pretty much zero by way of personality, or even superficial nastiness, making Asia's reprisals a whole lot less entertaining."
Wasted potential and tonal fluctuations
As much fun as "They Will Kill You" is, it is not entirely flawless. The script has a few really exciting ideas to offer, which are unfortunately only briefly teased but not thought through to the end. For example, we are told that there are floors for different sins in the building – but apart from a split second of an orgy, we see almost nothing of it. The absurd humor also occasionally clashes with the more serious moments of the story. The initial situation, i.e. why Asia goes to the hotel in the first place, is quite tragic. There are also a few connection errors in the editing. This is not really dramatic, but it is noticeable. Just little things that could easily have been done without.
Conclusion: A bloody feast with minor flaws
The bottom line is that "They Will Kill You" is a damn entertaining genre trip, which mainly impresses with its creative action sequences and a tough leading actress. It's not without its flaws, but if you're in the mood for 90 minutes of concentrated action and want to indulge in a crazy fever dream, you'll definitely get your money's worth here.
Our opinion: bloody, creative and crazy – "They will Kill You" really packs a punch!
