---
title: "They Will Kill You"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/they-will-kill-you"
fi1m_id: "they-will-kill-you"
imdb_id: "tt31728330"
tmdb_id: 1292695
wikidata_id: "Q136522037"
fi1m_score: 65
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-10-25"
updated: "2026-10-25T10:16:38.916483+00:00"
region: "ZA"
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."
---

# They Will Kill You (2026)

Directed by Kirill Sokolov · 1h 34m · Action, Comedy, Horror

## Identity

They Will Kill You

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/they-will-kill-you
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** they-will-kill-you
- **IMDb ID:** tt31728330
- **TMDB ID:** 1292695
- **Wikidata ID:** Q136522037
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31728330/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1292695, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q136522037

**Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 61 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* The mattress fight gets more attention than the sisters, and it shows

> Zazie Beetz gives *They Will Kill You* enough physical conviction to carry its bloodier stretches. Kirill Sokolov stages the fights with wit, but the thin sister story and tiring escalation make this a qualified pleasure for gore enthusiasts.

## Synopsis

Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) fights back against a Satanic cult, with her estranged sister Maria Reaves (Myha’la Herrold) caught up in the conflict. The action moves through the confined spaces of a building, and an early fight involves a mattress. Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette), Ray (Paterson Joseph), Kevin (Tom Felton) and Sharon (Heather Graham) also figure in the story. Asia Reaves needs to survive a series of close-quarters confrontations, while the sisters have their damaged relationship to contend with alongside the immediate physical danger.

## Review

*They Will Kill You* is worth considering for Zazie Beetz and its inventive early fights, though the thin writing makes it a recommendation for gore enthusiasts only. Kirill Sokolov sets out to make extreme violence funny, trusting elaborate choreography and a committed lead to carry a fairly slight story. For a while, that trust is justified. Then the confrontations keep coming, the surprise wears off, and a film running just 94 minutes begins to feel as though it has exhausted its ideas.

Zazie Beetz plays Asia Reaves with the physical conviction the material needs. Her comic timing matters as much as her athleticism: she makes the absurdity enjoyable without letting the effort of fighting disappear. We laughed at the mattress fight, because the staging gives a ridiculous situation the care and clarity of a serious action sequence. The movements are readable, and we can appreciate the work going into them without struggling to follow what is happening.

Isaac Bauman’s cinematography allows the camera to play without losing track of the fighting. That is a useful discipline in a film so keen to keep everything moving, and it lets the performers’ timing register. Jeremy Reed’s production design gives the choreography confined spaces to exploit; the building keeps supplying restrictions that make the action more inventive. There is pleasure in watching a fight respond to its surroundings, especially when the physical layout is clear enough for us to follow.

The screenplay by Kirill Sokolov and Alex Litvak has considerably less patience with the sisters. The relationship between Asia Reaves and Maria Reaves (Myha’la Herrold) should make the danger matter beyond the immediate question of who wins a fight. Instead, their history is underdeveloped, and the dialogue can be so blunt about feelings that there is little left for the performances to suggest. The film expects us to care about the sisters without spending enough time with them.

Luke Doolan’s editing keeps the action moving, though the later confrontations have less and less to make us care about them. The early pace is welcome, but keeping the film busy does not prevent repetition. Carlos Rafael Rivera supplies the music, though the scenes that hold us depend chiefly on the performers’ physical timing. As the violence escalates, the script offers too little new information about these people to keep the confrontations interesting.

Against the standards of action-horror comedy, the film’s familiarity is not the chief problem. Clear staging and a capable lead can make familiar material satisfying, as the early stretches demonstrate. The weaker jokes are harder to forgive, because the film needs them to vary the experience once another burst of gore stops being a surprise. Its hints of social commentary are too lightly developed to give us much else to think about between fights.

There is enough skill here to justify an evening for those whose tastes run towards elaborate screen violence. Zazie Beetz gives the film a liveliness its writing does not consistently match. Go for the fights, and do not expect the sisters to matter as much as the next piece of choreography.

*Fi1m score 65, published 25 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around Zazie Beetz’s physical performance and the inventive, grisly fight sequences. Even several sceptical critics find something to admire in the choreography, while supporters enjoy the humour and exaggerated violence enough to forgive a thin plot. Beetz is the clearest point of agreement: her energy, athleticism and comic timing repeatedly earn praise, including from critics unconvinced by the film around her.

The spread is wide, with disagreement over how long the action remains entertaining and whether the sisters’ story supplies enough emotional weight. Deadline finds real feeling in that relationship, while several reviews consider it underdeveloped alongside the social commentary. The Guardian faults the borrowed style and weak jokes; Variety finds the revenge story exhausting and short on stakes. Between those positions, many critics enjoy individual sequences but find that the film loses momentum or has little beneath its busy surface.

## Straight answers

**Is They Will Kill You worth watching?**

*They Will Kill You* is worth considering for gore enthusiasts drawn to inventive fights and Zazie Beetz’s physical commitment, but our score of 65 reflects substantial reservations. We enjoyed the clearly staged early action, particularly the mattress fight; the underwritten sister relationship and increasingly repetitive confrontations make the rest a qualified pleasure.

**How long is They Will Kill You, and what is it rated?**

*They Will Kill You* runs 1h 34m. It is an action and comedy film.

**Where can I watch They Will Kill You in South Africa?**

*They Will Kill You* is not on any streaming or rental service in South Africa at the moment. It is available in 48 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is They Will Kill You, and is it suitable for children?**

*They Will Kill You* carries a UK 15 certificate and is unsuitable for children, with extreme violence, repeated bursts of gore and a Satanic cult in the story. The film plays much of its bloodshed for laughs, but we would steer squeamish viewers away: comic staging does not make its close-quarters fighting gentle.

**How does They Will Kill You compare to The Raid?**

*They Will Kill You* is the more overtly comic choice, but we recommend [*The Raid*](https://film.one/film/the-raid) more strongly for tightly staged, physically punishing action. Both use confined spaces and clear choreography well, and both have thin characters and some repetition; those weaknesses matter more in *They Will Kill You*, where escalating gore and uneven jokes struggle to sustain the early pleasure.

### Reviews we read (22)

- **Empire**, Helen O’Hara (85/100, inferred): O’Hara finds the film a wildly entertaining, immensely fun horror ride despite its thin plot and lack of subtlety. She especially praises Sokolov’s commitment to grisly violence and Beetz’s hard-as-nails performance. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/they-will-kill-you/)
- **Little White Lies**, Anton Bitel (4/4/4): Bitel finds the film a confident, feisty action-horror with a political edge. He praises its hyperkinetic gore and cartoonish vision of sisterhood and solidarity. [Read](https://www.lwlies.com/reviews/they-will-kill-you)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh (78/100, inferred): Walsh finds the film an entertaining, gleefully over-the-top action-comedy that rises above its familiar influences. She especially praises its inventive visual storytelling and Beetz’s frantic, physically expressive performance. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-03-26/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-kirill-sokolov-patricia-arquette-myhala)
- **IndieWire**, Katie Rife (B-): Rife finds the film thrilling at first but increasingly overwhelming and anticlimactic. She praises the practical stunt work and choreography, especially Beetz’s action sequences. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-kirill-sokolov-1235185292/)
- **Screen Daily**, Nikki Baughan (70/100, inferred): The headline presents the film as high-octane horror, suggesting a positive verdict. It singles out Zazie Beetz fighting back, but the review text is behind a paywall. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-fights-back-in-kirill-sokolovs-high-octane-horror/5215129.article)
- **The AV Club**, Jesse Hassenger (B-): Hassenger finds the familiar action-horror formula more lively than expected, though it loses steam and its sister story feels underdeveloped. He singles out Zazie Beetz’s convincing physicality and the film’s inventive, gory horror sequences. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/they-will-kill-you-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (65/100, inferred): Han finds the film an enjoyably giddy, gory action spectacle, though ultimately insubstantial. She praises Zazie Beetz’s cool, athletic performance and the gleefully inventive violence, while criticizing the thin characters and abandoned ideas. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-myhala-1236547504/)
- **Radio Times**, Rosie Fletcher (3/5): Fletcher presents the film as a funny, gory horror romp. She singles out its video-game-inspired style, which evokes John Wick as a video game. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-au4ff8/they-will-kill-you)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (3/5): The review presents the film as gonzo exploitation with cult potential. It singles out Zazie Beetz cutting loose in its action-horror mayhem. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/they-will-kill-you-review-2026)
- **Slant Magazine**, Anzhe Zhang (2/4): The critic finds the film derivative and increasingly generic, with its style-over-substance approach leaving the story emotionally weightless. They praise the early action choreography and comic-book flourishes, especially the mattress fight and the tunnel chase. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz/)
- **The Guardian**, Charles Bramesco (30/100, inferred): Bramesco finds the film an overfamiliar, juvenile mix of action, comedy and horror that wears out its welcome. He praises its inventive gore and sprightly fight choreography, but faults its borrowed style and weak jokes. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/26/they-will-kill-you-movie-review)
- **Vulture**, Alison Willmore (30/100, inferred): Willmore finds the film too sloppy and meandering to make its bloody premise work. She praises the fun camera movements and clearly staged fights, but says the fights lose impact because the characters can resurrect themselves. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/revivew-they-will-kill-you-but-can-they-get-on-with-it-already.html)
- **Variety**, Siddhant Adlakha (25/100, inferred): The critic finds the film exhausting and unsatisfying, with its revenge story and action losing momentum and stakes. He praises Zazie Beetz’s committed performance and a few ludicrous, laugh-out-loud concepts. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/they-will-kill-you-review-1236692382/)
- **Deadline**, Glenn Garner (82/100, inferred): Garner delivers an enthusiastic verdict on the film’s bloody, humorous take on a Satanic cult. He praises Beetz’s physical performance and the emotional force of the estranged sisters’ story. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/03/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-sxsw-1236746474/)
- **Polygon**, Aimee Hart (80/100, inferred): The critic recommends the film as a bloody, entertaining choice for fans of horror-comedies. They single out Zazie Beetz’s commanding performance, while noting that some dialogue is rigid and on-the-nose. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/they-will-kill-you-hbo-streaming/)
- **NME** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds it a gleefully chaotic, highly entertaining horror comedy, though its thin plot may not work for everyone. They praise Zazie Beetz’s energetic action-hero performance and the film’s inventive gore. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-heather-graham-tom-felton-3936830)
- **The Wrap** (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a gleefully entertaining, if thematically underdeveloped, action ride. They single out Zazie Beetz’s ferocious performance and the inventive fight sequences for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz/)
- **/Film**, Bill Bria (6.5/10): Bria finds the film stylish and entertaining but ultimately empty, with little depth beneath its surface. He especially praises Zazie Beetz’s physicality and comedic timing, while faulting the thin world-building and underdeveloped themes. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2132731/they-will-kill-you-horror-movie-review/)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (6/10): The critic finds the film a fun, berserk action ride whose style largely compensates for its lack of substance. He praises Zazie Beetz’s action performance and the film’s playful, inventive visual influences. [Read](https://collider.com/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz/)
- **HeyUGuys** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film messy and uneven but entertaining for viewers seeking something wild and unpretentious. The action sequences stand out for their energy and inventive use of the building’s confined spaces. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/they-will-kill-you-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (2.5 out of 5): Crow finds the film entertaining in flashes but ultimately too thin to earn a cult following. He praises its meticulously staged action and fight choreography, while faulting its underdeveloped social commentary and sisterly dynamic. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/they-will-kill-you-review/)
- **The Playlist**, Monica Castillo (35/100, inferred): Castillo finds the film entertaining at times but ultimately uneven and overstuffed. She praises Zazie Beetz’s action-hero performance, while criticizing the incoherent style and CGI-heavy finale. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/they-will-kill-you-review-zazie-beetz-takes-on-the-immortal-rich-in-messy-thriller-20260319/)

## Details

- **Director:** Kirill Sokolov
- **Director:** Kirill Sokolov
- **Writer:** Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak
- **Cinematography:** Isaac Bauman
- **Editor:** Luke Doolan
- **Music:** Carlos Rafael Rivera
- **Production design:** Jeremy Reed
- **Costume design:** Neil McClean
- **Producer:** Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan, Andy Muschietti
- **Cast:** Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves; Patricia Arquette as Lily Woodhouse; Myha'la Herrold as Maria Reaves; Paterson Joseph as Ray; Tom Felton as Kevin; Heather Graham as Sharon; Willie Ludik as Bob; David Viviers as Tall Steve
- **Runtime:** 1h 34m
- **Release (South Africa):** 27 March 2026
- **Genres:** Action, Comedy, Horror
- **Budget:** $20 million
- **Box office:** $19 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0PGrtw0X1Q

## Where to watch in South Africa

Not streaming, renting or buying in South Africa at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Ready or Not* (2019): Another bloody comedy about surviving a wealthy household with murderous customs.
- *The Raid* (2011), Fi1m 83: For confined spaces, clear choreography and fights that remain physically punishing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-raid.md)
- *House* (1977): Japanese supernatural chaos that keeps finding stranger things to do with rooms.
- *The People Under the Stairs* (1991): A hostile household gives its social anger considerably more space to develop.
- *Revenge* (2017): A harsher, less jokey survival story built around determined physical resistance.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/they-will-kill-you