--- title: "Kill List: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/kill-list/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/kill-list" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kill List (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 15 reviews: 12 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond strongly to Kill List, praising Ben Wheatley’s control of a film that brings domestic drama, crime and horror into unsettling contact. The praise centres on believable household tensions, naturalistic dialogue and performances that make the violence harder to dismiss. Empire singles out Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley for their grounded, compelling work. Across the positive reviews, dark humour and mounting dread matter as much as the shocks themselves. The reservations cluster around the final act, and the spread of opinion is wide despite the positive majority. The Guardian finds the climax less effective than the build-up, while The New York Times finds the film compelling but undercooked and baffling. Slant Magazine offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the later developments feel overdetermined and the ending graceless. The main divide is over whether the film’s escalating strangeness sustains its early promise. ## Little White Lies — Dan Brightmore Rating 4/5/3. 1 September 2011. British director Ben Wheatley delivers a future classic in the form of this white-knuckle thriller. The film is a supreme cinematic definition of white-knuckle tension that rewards repeat viewings despite some quibbles with the final act. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/kill-list) ## RogerEbert.com — Kevin B. Lee Rating 4/4. 14 December 2012. The critic praises the film's skillful blending of domestic drama, crime thriller, and horror elements into an unsettling whole, highlighting Wheatley's assured direction and the memorable impact of its violent sequences. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/a-killer-thriller-that-spills-into-horror) ## Time Out Rating 5/5. 30 August 2011. On the strength of Kill List, Wheatley might be the most idiosyncratic and exciting filmmaker the UK has produced since Shane Meadows. It is an unrelentingly grim ride into the bleakest imaginable terrain whose power is inescapable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kill-list) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2011. A dark, funny, disturbing picture that elevates Wheatley to the A-list of promising British filmmakers. The critic singles out the grounded yet compelling performances of leads Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kill-list-review/) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2011. A slippery, inventive sophomore effort that builds from domestic drama to Grand Guignol horror with authentic dialogue, pitch-perfect performances and scuzzy images. British horror has rarely hit these heights since the mid-1970s. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/kill-list-review/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Director Ben Wheatley's down-and-dirty chiller moves confidently from edgy soap opera to intense crime thriller to stark satanic shocker. Wheatley's scares are palpable thanks to the improvised playing of his fresh cast, confounding expectations the same way he did with Down Terrace. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vpp407/kill-list/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2011. Festival review. The British horror film genre is given a sharp and stylish jolt with Ben Wheatley’s brutally impressive Kill List, a challenging and gripping chiller that confirms his burgeoning reputation as a filmmaking talent to watch. The film is a brilliantly constructed horror-drama whose grim twists surprise and engage, with an edgy sense of dread. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/kill-list/5024830.article) ## Variety — Andrew Barker Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2011. Festival review. The critic calls it an artful, sensitively acted thriller above its peers, praising the nontraditional approach to horror and the naturalistic performances while noting the audacious final turn. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/kill-list-1117944825/) ## The AV Club — Alison Willmore Rating B. 2 February 2012. The film mixes kitchen-sink realism with folk-horror elements in an unsettling way, offering nightmarish imagery and lasting resonance in its revelations about inner monsters despite some messiness. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kill-list-1798171365) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2012. The critic finds the film undercooked and baffling yet compelling, noting its dreamy approach to violence that infuses everyday situations with claustrophobia. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/movies/kill-list-is-ben-wheatleys-second-feature-film.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2012. The critic describes a provocative darkness and brutal violence that exceeds the director's previous work, singling out the relentless gore in one scene as particularly intense. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-feb-03-la-et-kill-list-20120203-story.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2012. The film starts as kitchen-sink drama but veers into overdetermined occult territory that feels unsurprising and lost, with an ending that lands gracelessly. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kill-list/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn 2 February 2012. Wheatley's film is a brutally unsettling masterpiece best appreciated on repeat viewings for its layered narrative and dark impact. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/ben-wheatleys-kill-list-is-the-brutally-unsettling-masterpiece-that-you-need-to-see-twice-49286/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 1 September 2011. The film is an unsettling blend of suburban drama and occult horror that mixes arthouse realism with violent shocks. The critic praises the inspired mood and strong lead performances but finds the climax less effective than the buildup. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/sep/01/kill-list-film-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff 18 March 2011. Festival review. The film improves on the director's debut with believable domestic tensions and fresh mystery in the hitman genre. A deeply weird twist and graphic violence may divide audiences but the grim momentum holds. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/kill-list-film-review-169195/) ## The Times — Jonathan Dean 4 September 2011. Kill List is a gripping and surprisingly deep thriller that humanizes its hitman protagonists through moral ambiguity and post-war trauma. The critic highlights its originality in blending crime, horror and social commentary. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/kill-list-r006qzw5lc5) ## Collider — Phil Brown Rating A-. 18 September 2011. Festival review. The film lulls viewers with a kitchen-sink drama before unleashing brutal violence and a satanic cult twist that leaves the audience shattered. Wheatley’s confident sophomore effort mixes genres through misdirection for a uniquely harrowing experience. [Read the review](https://collider.com/kill-list-review/) ## Den of Geek — Michael Leader Rating 4/5. 24 August 2011. The critic praises Wheatley's follow-up to Down Terrace as an intense, disturbing mix of domestic drama and horror that surprises and unnerves while maintaining humor and strong characters. They single out the shift from naturalistic setting to surreal, chilling territory and the well-observed dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/kill-list-review/) ## The Skinny — Keir Roper-Caldbeck Rating ★★★. 17 November 2011. The critic highlights Wheatley's skill at infusing mundane suburban life with uncanny dread through strong performances, dark humor, and extreme violence in the hitmen storyline. They note a letdown when the film moves from its rich suburban setting to a climax in the woods but call it impressive, original filmmaking overall. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/kill-list) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall 25 August 2011. The critic praises the film's successful blend of gritty thriller, kitchen-sink drama and horror elements, crediting strong lead performances and a simmering tone of menace. The rawness and black humour are highlighted as strengths, though the far-out ending may not satisfy all viewers. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/kill-list-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff 16 March 2011. Festival review. The review calls the film a shocking, emotionally resonant and horrific ride that masterfully mixes domestic drama, hitman thriller and occult horror with pointed filmmaking craft. It singles out the rising anxiety, unnerving score and unexpected wallop of the conclusion for praise. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/sxsw-review-kill-list-is-a-shocking-emotionally-resonant-horrific-ride-20110316/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/kill-list.md