Cinema for Brunch KILL Review

Smarter than most in its execution and gorier than expected in its kill count, “Kill” is a great breakout action hit for the summer.

Synopsis

When army commando Amrit (Lakshya) finds out his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is engaged against her will, he boards a New Delhi-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves led by the ruthless Fani (Raghav Juyal) begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, Amrit takes them on himself in a death-defying kill-spree to save those around him — turning what should have been a typical commute into an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride.

Review
There’s a reason we as audiences love revenge films. Not only is it the thrill of seeing a protagonist put together their plan for revenge, nor is it seeing our protagonist overcome obstacle after obstacle, it’s mainly the gratification of seeing the perpetrator get what’s coming to them and fall at the protagonist’s hand. This reflects our own desires – wanting to get back (maybe not violently) at those who have done us wrong. Revenge films are the perfect escapism genre for a medium known for escapism in general. But, what most revenge films can miss are room for emotion, rather it be for contemplation and/or character development. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Hindi-language film “Kill” could be summarized in many ways – “The Raid” on a train, “The Raid” meets “Bullet Train”, or “John Wick” meets “Snowpiercer”. All of these are true but what’s missing in those pitches is the film’s surprisingly palpable amount of emotional weight. “Kill” follows National Security Guard commando Amrit (Lakshya), a man who shares a forbidden romance with Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), a woman who is set for an arranged marriage set up by her controlling father. Not letting politics get in the way of their destined romance, Amrit and his comrade-in-arms Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) come abroad the Rajdhani Express to stop the love of his life from getting unfairly whisked away. While abroad, Amrit finds himself up against 40 blade-wielding bandits who have boarded the train for loot. From there, tension is built, lives are lost and the gory, action-packed adventure kicks into high gear and doesn’t let up until the final scene.

There’s an unusual cleverness in how Nagesh Bhat ratchets up the tension and brings his protagonist Amrit to actually do what the title states and “kill”. After quick exposition and the key players are boarded on the train, Amrit is revealed to be a hero that would rather not kill. He whoops ass, disarms his foes and keeps it moving to the next perp. He doesn’t employ his deadly set of skills because he doesn’t deem it necessary. A key early moment (which ironically sets in motion the brutal violence that follows) is when Amrit’s comrade/friend Viresh kills a man, telling a disapproving Amrit that it was a split-second decision. Where Viresh is quick to decide if killing is necessary, Amrit would rather choose the alternative. That is until a harrowing death sequence around 40 minutes in (one of the most emotionally brutal in recent action history) serves as the catalyst to bring forth the “untapped beast” within our antagonist. It’s also at this harrowing mark that the film audaciously flashes its title across the screen – basically, there’s the film that exists before this point and the film that exists after it. This is purely by design as the deceptively simple premise at the heart of “Kill” is what happens when a disciplined man becomes undisciplined when pushed the wrong way. In that simple premise are moments where not only are there awesome kills, awesome gory kills but kills that are devastating as well as heartbreaking. There’s a magic trick Nagesh Bhat pulls on his audience here – he showcases the violence, keeps the audience engaged through the tension and hand-to-hand combat but he also finds time to let the audience breathe and take in some of the lives that have been lost or tragically altered along the way. It’s a rare balance most revenge films don’t carry.

Filling in a dynamic role such as Amrit, Lakshya gives a star-making performance. His presence is Jason Statham machismo matched with Liam Nesson-like pathos with a Brad Pitt-like charm. His charm and relatability are palpable in his scenes with Tanya Maniktala and his don’t-mess-with-me machismo is felt in scenes where he justifiably raises hell on any poor schmuck that gets in the way of his quest for vengeance. There is no doubt in my mind that this won’t be the last we see of Lakshya on the big screen. On the flip side of that coin, the main antagonist of the film, Fani – the black sheep of the bandit gang aboard the train – is played with menacing aplomb by Raghav Juyal. Fani is one of the best (and worst) villains in recent cinema. He’s a wild card – he changes the status quo of his team on the flip of a dime, he kills at the flip of a dime and he’s a man with nothing to lose. As cunning as Hans Gruber and as chaotic as the Joker, Fani is one of the most memorable despicable villains in recent memory. Raghav Juyal sells all of it– coming from a background of dancing and choreography, I also believe this isn’t going to be the last we see of Juyal onscreen.

There’s a deft hand writer/director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat carries in his direction here. The action sequences are balanced, going from the well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat to the brutal, gory kills. Nagesh Bhat keeps it all entertaining and never makes both forms of action looks unbalanced together. Another great factor of “Kill” is the cinematography – as the intensity of action changes, so does the look of the film. We go from glowing, attractive lighting to desperate, harsh lighting as Amrit’s rage grows and heads roll. That brings us to the gore. To say “Kill” is not a film for all action fans is putting it plain as day. The first 40 minutes is tolerable to any action thrill seeker but the remaining hour is not for the average action moviegoer. The gore here is by no means the worst I’ve ever seen in a film but for an action film, it’s rather intense. Not cartoonishly gory like, let’s say “Kill Bill”, but definitely on the level of some horror classics. That’s what makes “Kill” such a successful conundrum – it can reach the height of gnarly violence while also making itself accessible within the margins. It’s easily one of the best action hits of the summer.

Closing Thoughts
“Kill” is a fun, action ride for the summer. Its excessive gore may alienate its chance of a wide-reaching audience but for those that are willing to forego a few squeamish sequences (or close their eyes), it’s a propulsive, adrenaline-filled watch. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more work from director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat as well as seeing Lakshya and Raghav Juyal in more action roles. “Kill” digs beneath the surface of revenge and understands that the quest for such a thing is never a straight line. Sometimes, there’s just as much sadness and regret to be found in the trenches of revenge as there is rage and bloodlust.

Trailer

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