They Will Kill You (2026) Movie Review

They Will Kill You is a 2026 action horror film directed by Kirill Sokolov and co-written by Alex Litvak. It stars Zazie Beetz, Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. Produced by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, via their company Nocturna, and distributed by New Line Cinema.

Asia Reaves (Beetz) escaped from an abusive household in her youth and now works as a housekeeper in a strange New York City high-rise, but unbeknownst to her, the building hides a sect of devil-worshippers who are bent on committing a bloody sacrifice.

While you might expect some kind of grindhouse-style wild and exaggerated action flick judging by the trailer and the tone this film presents itself with, in the end the influence isn't so much exploitation cinema itself, but rather, the films that were already paying homage to cult films. The needle drops, the camera movements and the type of shots are all reminiscent of Kill Bill and Django Unchained. They Will Kill You takes more influence from Tarantino and the likes than anything else. It's the homage to the homage dressed in a layer of modern day preoccupations with race, trauma, a tragic past linked to social issues and even fights between the economic classes. Nothing of this is really pointed out by the film itself but the implications in the film's storytelling elements are pretty evident.

The main story is pretty straightforward, deliberately simple and direct so the filmmakers can construct a variety of action set-pieces with almost absurd levels of violence on display, which are truly the main focus of the movie. This deranged blood-soaked violence is honestly kind of weightless and too wacky to fully work, people will get their body parts cut off with no effort and while the choreographies themselves aren't bad, the way the script resolves the action sequences isn't very satisfying the majority of the time. The CGI gore isn't bad, and there's a fair amount of practical special effects, but the way the film is shot and color corrected makes it feel a bit dry and lacking flavor, something the Tarantino films had.

The bizarre antics and inner workings of the villains is just a very controlled attempt at being insane, the ludicrous final fight scene had its fun moments but the forced looniness of it never actually registers as genuinely mad, it's just juvenile and slightly weird, this is especially the case if you have seen a lot of faux grindhouse movies that truly commit to the over-the-top factor and give you some unreal and demented images. This film never actually goes out of its way to achieve that, but it's a film that works well since the actors are competent, the effects are well made, the brawls and fights are dynamic and fast, sometimes even creative. It's nothing else but an entertaining popcorn movie, not that it tried to be anything but that, but it can only reach that level.

Outside of some reservations, I do recommend the film as it's a very effective fun romp from beginning to end, only ninety minutes and ultraviolent. You can't really go wrong with it if you know what to expect.

My Wife is a Gangster (2001) Movie Review

My wife is a Gangster is a South Korean crime action romantic comedy directed by Jo Jin-kyu and written by Kang Hyo-jin and Kim Moon-sung. It stars Shin Eun-kyung, Park Sang-myun, Ahn Jae-mo and Kim In-kwon. The film was a phenomenal success inside and outside of Korea, leading to My Wife is a Gangster 2 (2003), My Wife is a Gangster 3 (2006) and two indian remakes titled James Bond and Singh is Bling in 2015.

Eun-jin is a martial arts expert and a deadly dual-wielding blade fighter who gains respect and the position of boss inside the Korean criminal underworld. She manages her goons and thugs with cruelty and harshness. When she learns that her sister, Yu-jin, has a terminal disease she begins to create the life she couldn't have at her request, this involves getting married to Kang Soo-il, whom she just met after the man uselessly tried to stop a fight, and have children. Can the cold and distant assassin deal with married life?

A great deal of the plot involves Eun-jin trying to grasp the gist of normal and mundane conjugal tasks but since her character was brought up outside the realm of normativity she ends up distorting and twisting these norms and in a way, exposing their arbitrary nature as well as their fragility when faced with any strong enough will that won't fit in. That's where the film is at its best, when its satirical commentary is integrated into the comedy and the action in order to make an entertaining statement.

The protagonist’s harshness and brutality gets contrasted several times with more warm and emotionally-based marriage scenes, which not only opens up the possibility for comedy but also to get the character to expose another facet of herself and her weaknesses become apparent when she is out of her element.

The less interesting stuff comes in the form of mostly irrelevant or very unimpactful scenes of Eun-jin's goons messing around. These comedic scenes aren't very funny and they mostly feel like padding or to add some cheap and easy jokes. They aren't awful but they comprise the weakest part of the film.

The movie features crisp 35mm film cinematography with a variety of somewhat light but noticeable and sometimes striking hues that decorate the visuals, add to that some very dynamic camera work that keeps things with energy and a very brisk rhythm that never flacks but doesn't move fast enough to be incomprehensible or disjointed. It's solidly crafted overall and with quite good fight sequences. 

Highly recommended if you wanna get started on South Korean cinema and this series.

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) Movie Review

After the surprise hits that parts one, two and three of the Resident Evil movie series were, Sony wasn't going to let the cow alone and eventually they decided to milk it once again, this time bringing back original director Paul W. S. Anderson, who functioned as producer and writer for the previous films and decided to make this a 3D affair after watching Cameron’s Avatar. It's a no-brainer that star Milla Jovovich would return, this time sharing screentime with Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller.

Alice, along with her deadly clones, visits Albert Wesker, the Chairman of the Umbrella Corporation, in Japan only to be attacked and bested by Wesker and his new superpowers. Alice survives and travels to the safe place in Alaska that was the destination of the survivors in the previous film, only to find a memory-wiped Claire who attempts to strike her down only to be defeated by the heroine. She takes Claire to California and lands the plane on a prison where another group of survivors take refuge. They try to reach Arcadia, a supposedly safe cargo tanker that's their only hope. 

This is where the fun begins. The very interesting delirium that progressively envelops this franchise reaches another level with this entry as Paul W. S. Anderson's style becomes less and less conventional. The incredible opening sequence in Japan that has the camera pull back on the infection spreading around the city (in delightful slow motion) only to pull back into it and show the effects of the now Umbrella-controlled metropolis really sets you up for what's to come. From the architectural designs stripped down to pure lines to the focus on space and time we can see the auteur's mind at work.

The frenetic and overly fragmentary style of typical action movie madness is sort of gone here, as Anderson works towards a total control of the background, the movements and the performances on screen, all with careful lighting and camera set ups and framing. You can really feel the weight and impact of the action but not as a very simple event, but rather as a stylized act in itself, which is further emphasized by the constant use of slow motion so that everything registers.

If there are major problems then that would be the middle of the storyline since once we reach the disposable group of survivors looking for the "promised land," or something along those lines (a cliche at this point), the film becomes routine and treads on derivative and familiar territory. Most of the characters, as usual, are one dimensional and uninteresting by themselves. Granted, they are fodder for the blood and guts scenes to take place but still. Alice outshines them all and when the movie focuses on her and her relationship with Claire the movie becomes captivating. 

Totally recommended, if anything for the initial act and the climax, which are more than worth the buy. 

KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Animated Movie Review

KPop Demon Hunters is a 2025 animated musical/action/fantasy/comedy movie that features three K-pop heroines (Rumi, Mira, and Zoey), following a tradition of ancient female warriors, battling demons as they also deal with their life as music stars, members of a successful group named Huntrix. Trouble arises when a new boy band, the Saja Boys, rises in popularity and steals their fandom but this new group hides sinister secrets, turning the popularity contest into a fight for the future of mankind.

Produced by Sony Pictures Imageworks, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and starring Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong and Ken Jeong, to name a few. It was made by Kang to express her passion for her heritage and country. It was released on Netflix on June 20. 

Right from the start one has to be taken aback by its singular style, the marvellous and beautiful art direction and the swift and fluid animation of the highest order. It's quite fantastic on those terms. I think that visually it's quite breathtaking, incredibly detailed, full of stimulating colors, eclectic music video editing and great character and background designs that are borderline iconic and memorable, especially when we are talking about the main trio with their fashionable hairstyles and outfits. 

The protagonists are quirky, pretty and energetic, playing off of each other very well. When the film was announced, people praised it not only for having three main female characters but also because the comedy involved them having very goofy and over-the-top expressions instead of being always composed and playing it too straight to maintain their "femininity". Demon Hunters breaks that boundary. I think director Maggie Kang herself said it best: "I just wanted to see something different from the Marvel female superheroes that were just sexy and cool and badass. But I also wanted to see girls who had potbellies and burped and were crass and silly and fun, because that's really what I am. So I just wanted to create something that encompassed all of those elements." This is a good step forward because girls being silly is something that is needed in entertainment, it's almost normalized here with daffy jokes about eating lots of food, slapstick, burps, nutty shouting, kooky reactions and things of that sort. It's varied in its comedy, using both character-based humor and visual gags to good effect.

The musical department is just as imaginative, I enjoyed the rhythmic and catchy songs all the way. Even if K-pop isn't my cup of tea I still had a very good time listening to the soundtrack and every song worked very well. So if you were worried about the movie depending on your musical taste then you don't have to anymore because it's not an alienating factor here.

I must say that the world, the art and the writing are all pretty creative and well done, but unfortunately there are some issues with it, the storyline isn't quite as original as I expected, reusing the typical "big secret" and the trite "girl band versus boy band" tropes. It never becomes intolerable but it sort of becomes too conventional and safe to stand out properly. I also wasn't a fan of the cheap Korean humour, the boyband jokes and also males writing stuff that they think women find attractive. I also think it loses momentum by the third act before quickly gaining it for the climax. The character conflicts also could have been less arbitrary or resolved in a more thoughtful manner.

Since a great deal of its components are so greatly made, I think it would be good to see a full animated series based on this world and characters in the future or at least some sequels that explore the possibilities of its universe. I would pay to see these characters in a plethora of hilarious scenarios and plots.

Also, here's some older concept art I found that they used when the project was announced.

In short, it's a fun and entertaining time, especially for teens and kids but parents will also enjoy it's cleverness and the technical feats accomplished will surely make it more palatable than the average kids film. Totally recommended if you believe it may be for you (specially if you are into the subject matter), and also if you can put up with some cutesy weirdness.