They Will Kill You review: Zazie Beetz leads bloody action thriller

They Will Kill You feels like an adrenaline shot to the chest; it's a little messy, but that mess makes it feel made by a person rather than a committee. Writer-director Kirill Sokolov's third feature — his first in English — is a delightfully deranged, blood-soaked genre mash-up that gives Zazie Beetz the leading role she's long deserved.

Beetz plays Asia Reaves, who after serving a decade in prison for killing her abusive father returns to find the sister she left behind. Maria, played by Myha'la, works as a housekeeper at the Virgil, a high-rise whose wealthy residents, including Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette and Tom Felton, are revealed to be members of a violent Satanic cult; Asia poses as a housekeeper to gain entry, and the film follows her as a formidable fighter determined to save her sister.

Sokolov launches into action almost immediately, blending samurai, spaghetti-western and anime influences with clear nods to Kill Bill, The Raid and Lady Vengeance while maintaining its own identity.

zazie beetz, kirill sokolov, asia reaves, action thriller, satanic cult, heather graham, patricia arquette, tom felton, kill bill, the raid