<p>Storytelling today resonates across multiple forms of popular entertainment. A case in point is immersive storytelling inspired by video games, where narratives unfold from a first-person POV and the environment evolves alongside the protagonist’s journey. At the climax, the central conflict resolves cinematically, bringing the protagonist’s perilous journey to an end.</p><p>‘They Will Kill You’, Kirill Sokolov’s third comedy thriller in the past decade, appears to unfold on similar lines. Set in The Virgil, a Manhattan apartment building where wealthy residents have made a literal deal with the devil, the film follows an unsuspecting Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz). She checks in at a hotel in the complex as a live-in maid, hoping to reconnect with her sister Maira (Myha’la). On her first night, Asia uncovers a plot against her life when cultists attack her. From there, the film’s trajectory becomes strikingly obvious, with one deus ex machina after another saving her, until Maira ultimately sacrifices herself.</p><p>The fight sequences, seemingly inspired by ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Ready or Not’, grow increasingly inconsistent with each scene. The film also draws heavily on contemporary conspiracy theories and elite superstition narratives that have gained traction online, particularly following the release of the Epstein files.</p><p>Although the film clearly signals its comedic intent, the low stakes surrounding the protagonist and the predetermined fate of the cultists make it an underwhelming watch. Mainstream films often bank on formula, and the commercial nature of filmmaking is evident here. But when the protagonist is effectively invincible, conflict — crucial for lending depth to a character — becomes redundant.</p>
<p>Storytelling today resonates across multiple forms of popular entertainment. A case in point is immersive storytelling inspired by video games, where narratives unfold from a first-person POV and the environment evolves alongside the protagonist’s journey. At the climax, the central conflict resolves cinematically, bringing the protagonist’s perilous journey to an end.</p><p>‘They Will Kill You’, Kirill Sokolov’s third comedy thriller in the past decade, appears to unfold on similar lines. Set in The Virgil, a Manhattan apartment building where wealthy residents have made a literal deal with the devil, the film follows an unsuspecting Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz). She checks in at a hotel in the complex as a live-in maid, hoping to reconnect with her sister Maira (Myha’la). On her first night, Asia uncovers a plot against her life when cultists attack her. From there, the film’s trajectory becomes strikingly obvious, with one deus ex machina after another saving her, until Maira ultimately sacrifices herself.</p><p>The fight sequences, seemingly inspired by ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Ready or Not’, grow increasingly inconsistent with each scene. The film also draws heavily on contemporary conspiracy theories and elite superstition narratives that have gained traction online, particularly following the release of the Epstein files.</p><p>Although the film clearly signals its comedic intent, the low stakes surrounding the protagonist and the predetermined fate of the cultists make it an underwhelming watch. Mainstream films often bank on formula, and the commercial nature of filmmaking is evident here. But when the protagonist is effectively invincible, conflict — crucial for lending depth to a character — becomes redundant.</p>