THEY WILL KILL YOU

(director/writer: Kirill() Sokolov; screenwriter: Alex Litvak; cinematographer: Isaac Bauman; editor: Luke Doolan; music: Carlos Rafael Rivera; cast: Zazie Beetz (Asia Reaves), Myha’La (Maria Reaves), Paterson Joseph (Ray Woodhouse), Tom Felton (Kevin), Heather Graham (Sharon), Patricia Arquette (Lily Woodhouse), Darron Meyer (abusive father of Asia); Runtime: 94; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan; Warner Bros. Pictures; 2026)

“The story is bonkers.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A cartoonish, ultra-violent, and dumb-assed horror/comedy directed by the Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov (“No Looking Back”/”Why Don’t You Just Die!”) and co-written by him and Alex Litvak.

 
Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) goes to prison and leaves her adolescent sister Maria with her abusive father (Darron Meyer). Ten years later she takes a maid’s job at a strange luxury NYC hotel called the Virgil, where her grown sister (Myha’La) works as a maid.

A satanic cult is housed in the hotel, that includes her superintendent boss, Lillith (Patricia Arquette), and several wealthy tenants, Sharon (Heather Graham) and Kevin (Tom Felton), who have made a pact with the Devil to live forever.

Asia fights off at least a dozen attacking demons with her machete, who want to make her a human sacrifice, as she’s here to free her missing maid sister enslaved in the hotel. In the bloody fight, she’s helped by the handyman Ray (Paterson Joseph).

The creepy film is filled with over-the-top blood-bath action scenes. Beetz gives a good physical performance, but its dark humor is unimaginative and the story is bonkers.

It played at SXSW.

REVIEWED ON 4/2/2026  GRADE: C-
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