They Will Kill You - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

They Will Kill You



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Are things changing around this decade like fashion arguably does? Are we going through the “satanic panic” era of film making like we did in the 1970s? Or is this simply a case of twin films going on? Cuz They Will Kill You feels a bit too close to the Ready or Not franchise than it really should? Don’t get me wrong. I loved the Ready or Not to death back in 2019, and liked the sequel a few months back nearly as much. So I’m not needlessly ragging on the fact that They Will Kill You is a very similarly feeling movie, rather noticing the strange similarities of two films deal with satanic cults wherein they need a sacrifice by morning. Only to have the heroine turn this into a reverse slasher and walk away into the sunlight by the time the credits roll.

The story starts out watching a young woman and her little sister try to escape and abusive father, only for Asia (Zazie Beetz) to put a bullet in her old man and end up in prison. Years later (we’re not told until the near end of the movie that it’s been 10 years) we meet Asia once more. This time she’s responding to a sketchy ad for a maid in a swanky New York high rise building called “The Virgil”. Only she’s not exactly as naive as you think. Asia actually has tracked her younger sister Maria (Myha’la) to The Virgil, and plans to get her out. Only thing is, when she gets inside our intrepid rescuer finds out that the place is 100% filled with immortals who have made a pact with the devil, which only lasts as long as they give sacrifices to good ole Beelzebub. And guess what? Asia is that sacrifice tonight. Now she has to hack slash, and generally slice n’ dice her way through a horde of immortal satanists in hopes of getting to her sister before its too late.

My synopsis of the film is much lighter than I usually do, and for good reason. The film itself is much like older slasher films of the 80s, with a 95 minute runtime and a ridiculously short plot. Most of the run time is filled up with Asia engaging in “splatstick” comedic action sequences where she blows heads, toes, arms, feet, and pretty much every other body part you can imagine clean off. Like Ready Or Not, the tongue is firmly planted in cheek, not even once trying to make this a true scare fest, or even a remotely serious horror movie. If I had to give comparisons I would have to say it blends Kill Bill, Ready or Not (and the sequel), with some elements of The Raid to give us a bloody fun time.

Sokolov blends action, comedy, supernatural satanism, and good old fashioned martial arts brawling in what can only be described as “ambitious”. And much like Ready or Not, I’m all for it. The film isn’t overly intelligent, and has some plot holes (especially with the hole name on the pig, and the rules behind it being rather vague), and I felt about 10 more minutes of fleshing out the history of “The Virgil” would have benefited the film. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT, at the end of the day this was just a silly, gory good time. Asia is a great protagonist, and the action sequences are top notch. I was literally dying with laughter over the pig head fight between Asia and Patricia Arquette’s character, and digging into the extras revealed that Sokolov actually used a TON of practical effects, using CGI to supplement only when necessary. That alone bumps it up half a notch in my book, as too many movies these days are just CGI slopped everywhere.




Rating:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, language and brief sexual content/nudity.




4K Video: Video:

From everything I’ve seen, the Blu-ray is about part, and the 4K UHD is hot on its heels. Shot on Arria Alexa 35 cameras, and given a direct 4K master, this is a killer looking image to say the least. Not to mention one swathed in complete in a TON of darkness. The film excels in visual clarity, giving us a picture perfect look into the dark hellscape of The Virigil, and doesn’t crush, or band in the darkness at all. Colors are definitely more muted in what I would call a “modern aesthetic”, with dark reds and blacks being the most prominent ones. That being said, skin tones look authentic, and the blood hilariously good (and not overly CGI looking). Honestly, this is so close to being perfect that I wanted to give it a 5/5, but some of the shadowy scenes can be a bit less revealing than I’d like






Audio:

Warner’s Atmos audio mix is stellar, and probably one of my favorite mixes of the year. This is not a subtle track by any stretch of the imagination, blasting the audience with an onslaught as Asia tears here way through The Virigil. Dialog is strong and cleanly replicated in the front of the room, and the surrounds are literally going nonstop as the action never really stops. You’re going to be constantly checking over your shoulder, as an axe screams from one end of the room to the other, or a demonic growl is uttered from a cultist in the back of the room. The overheads are some of the most active I’ve heard recently, with unsettling creaks and groans coming from above your head, to the thudding footsteps of the cultist after they race after our heroine. And LFE. Lets talk about the LFE here. Wowza, the bass is top notch, with absolutely insane output ranging from the intense score, to the slamming, crashing, and general chaos of having to battle off dozens of deranged satanists from beginning to end. Easily the best part of the entire package, and a doozy for sure.

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Extras:

•Director's Log: The Making of They Will Kill You - A documentary-style feature following director and the cast throughout the production process. From creative meetings with executive producers to deep dives with the VFX and prosthetics teams, this piece offers an intimate look at the creative and technical forces behind the film.
• Developing the Virgil Featurette - A look into the film's most iconic location: The Virgil, a nine-floor art deco building inspired by Dante's Inferno. This piece showcases the building's intricate design, surreal art direction, and how each floor was constructed to reflect a different level of psychological descent.
• Asia Reaves' Attacks Featurette - This action-packed piece breaks down all the major fight scenes in the film, complete with stunts, spoilers, and cinematic chaos.
• Crafting Carnage Featurette - Unravel how the film's most intense moments were brought to life using hands-on techniques, from puppets and prosthetics to practical effects and choreographed gags.

Final Score: ​

They Will Kill You is going to appeal to the same crowd that liked Ready or Not and Ready or Not 2, and I got no problem with that. It’s a fun action/comedy/gorefest with just enough plot to be interesting, and leaving the rest to the visual gags and slaughtering going on. The 4K UHD disc is great, with stunning video, perfect audio, and a solid array (though not stellar) amount of extras to chew through. The commentary alone is well worth checking out. At the end of the day this is just silly splatstick fun, and if you’re even remotely into that genre, is worth it as a fun watch.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham
Directed by: Kirill Sokolov
Written by: Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
Studio: Warner Bro's
Rated: R
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: June 30th, 2026

Recommendation: Entertaining Watch