Very often the best films are the ones you know very little about and didn't see coming. Kill List, a low key British thriller, fits that description with Neil Maskell starring as Jay, a family man with a young son and a beautiful wife (The Descent's MyAnna Buring). The cleverly structured script keeps us always one step behind at vall times. The first act gradually reveals the turmoil of Jay's domestic life and the love/hate relationship he has with his wife. We're also introduced to Gal at this point played by the cheeky Michael Smiley, as his best friend, colleague and ex-army buddy. This is raw, uncomfortable, kitchen sink drama stuff that you might find on a late night channel four drama.
The second act takes us into more conventional thriller territory where it's revealed that Jay and Gal are hitman with a mission to take out three names on a kill list; a priest, a librarian and an M.P. Again, the audience is playing catch up as we discover more and more about Jay's mental stability (or lack of) and the unusualness of the job they've taken on.
Again, in the third act, the film subtly shifts genres once more...this time heading into the horror genre. To reveal what happens would ruin the surprise but it's definitely off-kilter, unsettling and weird. Kill List is a modest but intense little movie that keeps the brain engaged and the nerves on edge throughout. It may frustrate some with an ending that's ambiguous, but it's a creative choice that's consistent with the rest of the story.
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