‘They Will Kill You’ review: only murders in this building

It’s only March but 2026 has had its fair share of bloodshed already. Ghostface headed out on another rampage in Scream 7, Rachel McAdams went feral in Send Help and the infected returned in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Whatever the rest of the year has in store for gore-lovers, few films will be able to match the splatter and mayhem of new horror comedy They Will Kill You.

Zazie Beetz stars as Asia who comes to wealthy New York high-rise The Virgil to work as a maid. Little does she know The Virgil houses a satanic sect that plans to use her as a human sacrifice. To the devil worshippers’ surprise, Asia is armed to the teeth and hard to kill – her new job was actually cover for a secret mission to rescue her long-lost sister. Facing an army of rich psychopaths, Asia shoots, stabs and slices her way towards a family reunion.

The film proudly elbows plot to one side and we are quickly thrown into a gorefest filled with kills that would make Quentin Tarantino clutch his pearls. Anything that can be cut off, ripped out or blown to pieces is fair game for director Kirill Sokolov, as he finds new and innovative ways to turn people to mush. Borrowing elements of Kill Bill, The Raid and a dozen other cult classics, it’s not overly clever but it is a lot of fun.

Zazie Beetz in ‘They Will Kill You’. CREDIT: Warner Bros UK

There is some faint social commentary here, adding to the Hollywood trend of “kill the rich” dark comedies (How To Make A Killing, The Menu, Ready Or Not). Thinking too hard about the finer details of class warfare is missing the point of They Will Kill You though. It’s 90 minutes of carnage that wants to make you wince, scream and hopefully smile.

Beetz throws herself head first into her final girl persona, holding her own during the relentless action scenes and providing the perfect viewpoint for the audience. Reacting to her ridiculous circumstances with a quick wit (and quicker trigger finger), she embodies the spirit of the many action heroes They Will Kill You references.

Patricia Arquette might have wished for a more nuanced role as the building’s superintendent Lilith, but is clearly game for a laugh as an over-the-top baddie with a wobbly Irish accent. You’ll recognise Heather Graham and Tom Felton among the Virgil’s crazed residents, and while they are a touch under-used they are fun to watch as they try in vain to hunt down our hero. Graham’s perky persona is delightfully at odds with her demonic dialogue, while former Harry Potter villain Felton is perfectly at home playing another ignorant rich boy.

They Will Kill You is a deeply unserious comedy horror that provides just enough plot to get it to the next bloodbath. It might not work for some but there’s something in the enthusiasm of all involved that is hard to resist as they craft a gleefully chaotic spectacle.

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