‘They Will Kill You’ Review: The Co-Op From Hell
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- "They Will Kill You" is a splatter-horror film set primarily in an exclusive Manhattan co-op called the Virgil, portrayed as a deadly trap for those trying to escape.
- The protagonist, Asia (played by Zazie Beetz), arrives at the Virgil under false pretenses to work as a maid, with a secret mission to rescue her sister Maria, introduced in a rain-soaked prologue set ten years earlier.
- The film's setting, a century-old building with eerie vintage décor, is visually incongruous with the city skyline, possibly due to the South African filming location or intentional artistic choice.
- Director Kirill Sokolov treats the Virgil like a video game, structuring the narrative around Asia navigating increasingly dangerous areas within the building, culminating in the ominous ninth floor.
- Despite strong production design and prosthetics, the screenplay is criticized for lacking originality and relying on familiar horror tropes, with key plot details deliberately withheld to avoid spoilers.
