'Kill List' Movie Review

British writer-director Ben Wheatley broke onto the scene in 2009 with Down Terrace, a dark mob comedy-drama that achieved some level of acclaim internationally. In 2011, however, he took it to the next level by leaping into the horror genre with both feet via Kill List, generating a ton of buzz at film festivals around the world and earning him a spot in the ABCs of Death anthology. But is the buzz all it's cracked up to be?

Jay (Neil Maskell) is a former British soldier whose clandestine, illegal post-military career is put on hold following a botched (yet unspecified) job in Kiev. For eight months, he lies around his house in a stupor, claiming to his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) to have a bad back, but spurred by her haranguing and an increasing need for cash, Jay accepts an offer to team up with his old partner Gal (Michael Smiley) for a lucrative job.

They're tasked by a seedy old man to kill three individuals, but little goes as planned for the hit men. The victims act unusually, as if they're in on a secret the duo isn't aware of. As they learn about the people on the kill list, Jay and Gal begin to get sidetracked, and Jay in particular allows his morality and emotion to interfere with the job. He quickly spirals downward, veering out of control and "off list," endangering not only his partner, but also himself and his family as he inches closer to finding out the sinister truth behind the job.

Kill List is a challenging and divisive film, a much-needed jolt of innovation in a genre that tends to rest easy in established conventions. It's gritty, gutsy and largely unpredictable -- granted, the finale echoes another recent horror movie (which shall remain nameless) -- and in many ways, plays like a 21st century The Wicker Man.

Because it doesn't provide easy answers and explanations, Kill List isn't for everyone -- especially those expecting a more standard narrative payoff. It's intentionally -- and perhaps frustratingly -- vague, but the unraveling mystery is fascinating enough to overlook the lingering questions, and frankly, it's refreshing to find a movie that doesn't try to tie everything together in a neat package with some cockamamie plot twist.

Kill List touches upon some unusually high-minded concepts for a genre film -- including war, the economic recession, morality and religion -- in a story that Wheatley has said was inspired by Arthurian legend. Indeed, it plays like a misguided crusade for an unattainable, Holy Grail-like goal. It's grim with a gritty style ingrained by Wheatley’s penchant for quick cuts and wordy, improvisational dialogue, which all combines for a distinctly indie vibe. His penchant for extreme violence and blaring, cacophonic sound, meanwhile, plays up the horror angle with superb efficiency. It's a love-it-or-hate-it affair that I, for one, loved.

• Acting: B (Natural with realistic emotion.)
• Direction: A- (Edgy and involving, delivering scares, laughs and drama.)
• Script: B (Uncompromising and challenging, albeit frustratingly vague.)
• Gore/Effects: B (Some wince-worthy explicit gore scenes.)
• Overall: B+ (An intelligent, intricate puzzle that's sure to provoke debate and division.)

Kill List is directed by Ben Wheatley and is not rated by the MPAA. Release date: February 3, 2012 (on demand January 4).

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