Synopsis:
An injured war veteran and hit man takes one final job with his partner that promises a big pay-off. Despite the simplicity of the job it soon plunges the hit man into a dark and twisted world.
Kill list is a
twisted and malevolent piece that shows how music can play a great part in
creating an atmosphere which may not necessarily reflect what’s happening
on-screen. For that I applaud its makers. For a majority of the film there’s no
real reason to feel afraid and yet we are forced to feel uncomfortable
throughout as ominous drones, whistles, hums, and all sorts of creepy tones carry
the movie through to its final horrifying scene. Interesting to see that Kill List only hints at the evil at its
core. You can tell there is something wrong, but the film itself doesn’t make a
spectacle out of it, leaving us to ponder and imagine what may be going on. Our
imagination of course far more powerful than anything a director could show us
on screen. It can be frustrating at times, as we as an audience want to know
what’s happening and get a full understanding, but potentially it’s a necessary
frustration that puts us in the same shoes as the protagonists. We are left
with the same confusion and lack of understanding.
This can be taken negatively however. There is no real
resolution or revelation at the end of the piece apart from a twist derivative
of the narrative. It’s good to keep us as an audience guessing but then, as I’ve
noted many times, we as a species expect some kind of pay off. The film tends
to run like this; The characters go about their job as normal, there’s a
feeling some things wrong, then they know for sure some things wrong, then it
ends. There’s no understanding of why events have unfolded this way and we are
left in the dark. I suppose this could come down to your own personal taste and
you could take pleasure in being in the same confused boats as the characters
but I for one can’t see how a lack of final conflict can be used as an
intriguing plot device. It’s like they’ve missed out a third act.
The realism of the film could be taken as a good or a bad
thing. Although the situation the characters get involved in is unlikely to
happen, if it did, they react perfectly to it. So in that sense you could say the
story is well written. There was a slight issue with sound however as the
performances were often drowned out by the music. It’s difficult at times to
hear what people are saying and that doesn’t help when you’re trying to get to
grips with what the hell is going on. A couple of times I’m sure I missed a
couple key sentences which isn’t useful. I suppose there’s something to be said
about the theatricality of filmmaking in that it gives us a clear sense of what’s
happening whereas social realism and the like is often wrought with a lack of
clarity.
But again still these characters still draw you in. I mean
our protagonists are killers, and fairly ruthless when it comes down to it, and
yet here we are rooting for them. They aren’t exactly lovable but the dialogue
is witty and engaging, which again is testimony to the cast’s abilities as a
fair amount was ad-libbed. Kudos.
Overview:
Definitely an interesting watch. Not as terrifying as I
thought it would be but it’s inspiring to see music used so efficiently in
creating mood and atmosphere when beneath it nothing really happens until its
final chapter. Would be nice to watch
the rest of the film.
Rating:
★★★
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