If you've listened to Watch If Podcast, you'll be familiar with my fangirl ramblings about the work of director Ben Wheatley, even going so far as to devote a few spoken Screen Grabs in a row to #WheatleyWeekly. And now it's time for me to discuss in written form his atmospheric horror masterpiece KILL LIST, just in time for the end of Spooktober. Warning: be prepared to read the words 'atmosphere' and 'atmospheric' a lot. The premise of Kill List is simple: hitman Jay (Neil Maskell, UTOPIA) has been unable to work for several months due to an injury, and is struggling to support his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring, THE DESCENT) and son. During a dinner party which makes up most of the first act, Jay's colleague Gal (Michael Smiley, JAWBONE) tells Jay about a simple job they're both wanted for, that only involves bumping off 3 people for a tasty payout. So it's a "one last job" film, right? So far so Fast & Furious, right? Right? ... Guys? Fortunately, no. The simple action movie premise belies just how dark and brilliant this low budget British horror gem really is. The film begins mid argument between Jay and Shel, as they prepare for a 4 person dinner party for which nobody is excited, and the first 30 or so minutes function as a taut domestic drama. We go from jokes about the Swedish Chef, to telling stories of Jay and Gal's past, to passive aggressive comments, to explosive arguments. Then the job begins, with the names on the list appearing on a black screen as ominous chapter headings (a device which is excellently subverted in the climax), and the film feels more like a violent revenge thriller. The third act then escalates into full blown horror mode, sure to shock and chill viewers, that scared me so much after my first watch that I couldn't bring myself to open my curtains. If it sounds like the 3 acts of this film are disjointed, then worry not - the thing that holds it all together is that crucial atmosphere. It's apparent from the outset that something sinister is around the corner, even during the more domestic scenes, through Wheatley & Robin Hill's editing and Jim Williams' incredible score. The dreamlike editing feels so off-kilter; jump cuts during moments of internal conflict; silence where you expect a loud noise, such as kicking a door down; a few intense long takes (one where Gal is walking through a warehouse is particularly scary); and dialogue from other scenes bleeding into the current one (Jay sitting by his pool at night with his son whispering "wake up" in voiceover - chills... every time). The score has effectively creepy use of whistling, tribal drums, eerie vocals and discordant strings, comprising one of my favourite film soundtracks ever. We also get great usage of the beautiful Joan Armatrading song It Could Have Been Better.
Co-written by Wheatley and his regular collaborator Amy Jump, most of the roles were written for the cast members, and it's pretty clear from just how at home the actors seem. Maskell and Smiley's love-hate-mate relationship is perfectly rounded, as is the believable relationship between Maskell and Buring; arguments tip over into laughter, quiet remarks result in yelling - this a realistic, loving but worn marriage. The semi-improvised dialogue treads the balance of funny and dark expertly, best displayed in a scene where Jay threatens to kill a group of singing Christians nearby and Gal laughs it off. This helps us get into a natural feeling with the film, which is then juxtaposed with the unsettling and foreboding way that Struan Rodger's mysterious Client and Mark Kempnar's creepy Librarian talk. In case you can't tell, I love Kill List. A lot. From the bold editing, to the casual dialogue to its graphic violence, to its narrative ambiguity. Multiple viewings highlight the foreshadowing and recurring events throughout the film, in some cases providing evidence for theories, and in other cases adding confusion. Don't expect all your questions to be answered - I've seen it a fair few times and still don't have a clear explanation for everything. But where's the fun in everything being made easy?
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