IFC Films
92 mins., dir. by Ben Wheatley, with Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring, and Michael Smiley

British indie cinema produces some amazing films, and two of my top five films of this year fit into that category. After hearing a lot of buzz from the festival circuit about Kill List and seeing its numerous award nominations and wins, my interests were piqued, especially for a movie being boxed as a horror film. Much more along the lines of a twisted thriller, Kill List will fester inside your brain for weeks to come, even if you hate it or don’t understand it.

Jay and Shel are your typical young married couple who obsess over first world problems. As the film begins, Shel is fuming because Jay has been out of work for eight months, prompted by a mishap on the job in Kiev that still troubles him, and the couple have no money to fix their broken hot tub. A good man at his core, Jay often flies off the handle, only to come back down and apologize. That being said, he never raises his voice or his fist against his son. For being such a seemingly morally grounded person, Jay’s profession is somewhat startling: hitman for hire.

Under the guise of introducing his new girlfriend to the unhappy couple, Jay’s best friend, Gal, meets with Jay and Shel for a dinner party. In actuality, Gal is Jay’s working partner and is there to brief Jay on his first hit in eight months. Jumping back into the game comes easy to Jay, but the circumstances of his new job set off an array of strange events.

Kill List is a roller coaster ride that only travels upward. With only a slight hint of mystery wafting through, the first half of Kill List is fairly tame — a lot of drinking, arguing, making up, and decent laughs; then, the first hit comes. The audience is prepared for craziness…but no. The hit is quick and bereft of gory, twisted detail. Maybe I was misled as to what I was about to see.

The second target is treated with more malice; the scenario is slightly more unsettling, but still, nothing that hasn’t been seen before — that is, until Gal leaves Jay alone with the subject. At that point, the movie smacks you across the face with detailed madness you never would have never expected. Shocking and unrelenting, Kill List suddenly makes you forget its tame beginnings. The film turns on a dime, ramps up the weirdness dial, and never lets go. Like an adult pulling a frightened child through a fun house, Kill List looks you in the eye to say, “Don’t worry, the bad man is gone, let’s keep going,” only to shove you into a pit of snakes who haven’t eaten in 10 days. It’s deplorable and a sick trick, but one you won’t forget.

Starring young actors who have been wading through smaller parts in big films and grinding through BBC series, the acting is top notch. Apart from Gal (played by comedian Michael Smiley, who many may recognize as Tyres from the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg series, “Spaced”), many will wonder how they haven’t seen these faces before. Not letting the manic situations at hand drag them into overacting, the performances lend credence to the seedy underbelly being portrayed.

Kill List is more of an experience than a cautionary tale. It delivers you a story, characters you can connect to (even if they do some bad things), and enough morality to pass as something more than a shocker. But that is what Kill List really wants to do: lead you into a dark place, let you leave, and challenge you to forget it.

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Matthew Schuchman is the founder and film critic of Movie Reviews From Gene Shalit’s Moustache (http://shalitsstache.com) and also the contributing film writer for IPaintMyMind (http://ipaintmymind.org).