Kill List Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Kill List Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 18, 2012

Winner of Best Supporting Actor Award at the British Independent Film Awards, Ben Wheatley's "Kill List" (2011) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; making of featurette; interviews; and two audio commentaries, one with director Ben Wheatley and writer Amy Jump and another with actors Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring and Michael Smiley. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The client

Plenty in Ben Wheatley’s Kill List is left for the viewer to figure out. But this is why Kill List works so well. It is a constantly shifting puzzle that makes sense only until the next piece is added. Then the viewer must go back and reevaluate everything he has seen.

Jay (Neil Maskell, The Football Factory), a retired hitman, is visited by Gal (Michael Smiley, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer), his best pal, also a hitman, who asks him to get back in the business of killing. At first Jay declines the invitation because he does not want to face old demons, but his Swedish wife (MyAnna Buring, The Descent) changes his mind. A couple of days later, Jay and Gal end up in a hotel room, where The Client (Struan Rodger) gives them a list with the names of three men they must kill. Before they part ways, The Client also mentions their work in Kiev and that he is pleased to have them work for him because they come highly recommended.

Jay and Gal are surprised to hear that someone actually knows about their work in Kiev. They did a job there years ago, and those who knew about it are no longer amongst the living. Nevertheless, they begin preparing for their new assignment.

Their first target is a priest. Jay and Gal quickly track him down in a remote church somewhere on the outskirts of the city. Moments before they kill him, he smiles and thanks them. Their second target is a librarian obsessed with pornographic videos who also appears grateful. Before he is taken out, Jay goes berserk and seriously scares Gal. Their third target is a prominent M.P. who lives alone in a large mansion. Jay and Gal arrive there on the night before the target is to be executed and witness a brutal Druidic ritual. When they foolishly attempt to stop it, all hell breaks loose.

Kill List is formerly divided into three large episodes. The first episode focuses on the two hitmen and their new lives. Both have tried to find peace and start from scratch, and both have failed. Jay is having serious problems with his wife, while Gal has finally met a girl he likes, but she does not understand him. Because their private lives have ruined the peace they require to be strong, the two have returned to the business of killing. While killing, they are regaining their strength.

The second episode focuses on the first two killings. This is where things begin to unravel. There are shockingly brutal scenes here that reveal why Jay and Gal come highly recommended. In the beginning of Kill List, they look like two ordinary blokes who are getting old like most other blokes do -- drinking, arguing with their wives and girlfriends, and playing tough rather than being tough. But they are not ordinary blokes. They are legitimate veteran hitmen. Of the most brutal kind, too.

The final episode is a genuine mind-bender. It can be interpreted in at least three different ways, and all make sense (to me). It turns Kill List upside down, and pushes it into a territory explored by several big David Cronenberg films. However, the atmosphere is such that it feels like Wheatley is paying tribute to Robin Hardy's cult shocker The Wicker Man.

Kill List is a journey, not a conventional genre film that tells a coherent story. It is slightly ambiguous but not irresponsible, moody but not pretentious. If seen at the right time, with the proper mindset, it could surprise in a way few contemporary films still can.

Last year, Kill List won Best Supporting Actor Award (Michael Smiley) at the British Independent Film Awards.

Kill List Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ben Wheatley's Kill List arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. Kill List is one of the most impressive Blu-ray releases to come out under the StudioCanal logo in quite some time. Even though large portions of the film take place at night or in dimly lit settings, detail and clarity are consistently outstanding. Contrast levels are also convincing, though they are not always consistent due to the way the film was shot. The color scheme is excellent. The film favors a variety of rich yet cold colors that complement the tense atmosphere very well. There are no traces of problematic post-production corrections. There are also no serious aliasing or banding issues to report in this review. When blown through a digital projector, the film conveys outstanding depth and very pleasing fluidity. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Kill List Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0, and an Audio Description track. For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

Jim Williams' score has a very important role in Kill List. Some of the creepiest sequences have all sorts of ambient sounds that profoundly change their character. The final third of the film, in particular, is very wild. Fortunately, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is as precise and intense as it could be. This isn't to say there is demo material in Kill List, but its sound design and the manner in which it is handled by the lossless track are guaranteed to please audiophiles who pay attention to detail. For the record, the dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow.

Kill List Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for Kill List. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• Making of - a short featurette with various camera tests and raw footage from the shooting of selected scenes. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080i).

• Interviews -
  
  -- Ben Wheatley - director Ben Wheatley discusses the origin of the film, the complicated narrative, the shocking violence, etc. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080/50i).
  
  -- Neil Maskell and MyAnna Buring - the actors discuss their involvement with the film, the characters they play, their impressions of director Ben Wheatley, the style of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080/50i).
  
  -- Claire Jones and Andrew Starke - the producers of the film discuss the origin of the film, its complex narrative, the characters, director Ben Wheatley's style, etc. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080/50i).

• Commentary - an audio commentary by director Ben Wheatley and writer Amy Jump. This is a light and entertaining but also informative audio commentary. The director and the writer discuss how specific sequences were shot, where and how, their importance, etc. There is some interesting analysis of the main characters as well. The various comments during the final third of the film are also very interesting.

• Commentary - a second commentary by actors Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring and Michael Smiley.

Kill List Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wild, at times hilarious, but shockingly brutal, Ben Wheatley's Kill List is an excellent thriller that is destined to become a classic. It literally kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, as I had no idea what would happen next. Well done. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Studio Canal, looks and sounds terrific. If you can play Region-B "locked" discs, consider adding Kill List to your collections. It is one of the best independent British films I've seen in years. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.