Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Kills on Wheels Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 1, 2018

A Hungarian production, “Kills on Wheels” makes an effort to depict the physically disabled in a unique way. Writer/director Attlia Till takes a creative route while showcasing a story of crime and emotional dysfunction, using the conventions of gangster cinema to shake up the norm when it comes to tales that feature wheelchair-bound characters. “Kills on Wheels” has its share of dark comedy, also highlighting blasts of violence, but there’s an emotional foundation poured by Till that gives the material a little more to do than simply tend to formula, trying to form living, breathing characters to go with modest exploitation interests.

Zolika (Zoltan Fenyvesi) and roommate Barba (Adam Fekete) are managing their physical disabilities in a therapy center while concocting their first comic book, detailing the life and times of Rupaszov (Szabolcs Thuroczy), a recent addition to the facility. A former fireman who was hurt on the job, Rupaszov is having trouble adjusting to life as paraplegic, befriending the young men while taking side work as an assassin for a local crime lord. Getting caught up in a dangerous lifestyle, Zolika responds to the friendship, which helps him to deal with paternal abandonment issues and contemplate future surgery.

“Kills on Wheels” plays with reality, with the screenplay juggling Zolika’s comic book artistry with Rupaszov’s tale of depression, finding the man dealing with the heavy burden of bodily loss and personal sacrifice, watching his ex-girlfriend agree to marry another man. Balance between the real world and heightened experiences of page-turning fantasy are blended superbly by Till, who keeps the movie’s mystery stoked from beginning to end, but shows more interest in the interior lives of his characters, unwilling to sacrifice personal time to play with the material’s more aggressive encounters, including multiple shoot-outs between the wheelchair-bound hitman and men who drop their guard around the seemingly helpless stranger. Blood is spilled, but “Kills on Wheels” remains in command of extremity, offering deep characterization that make confessional moments count the most, including sequences that deal directly with the everyday experience of immobility, therapy, and a mutual desire between Zolika and Rupaszov to avoid their reality for as long as possible.

Kills on Wheels Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation supports the feature's HD-shot look, delivering sharpness with character details, including facial responses and costuming. Textures are also generous with locations, providing dimensional distances, and wheelchair wear and tear is displayed clearly. Colors are accurate, with the cinematography favoring a slightly desaturated look, delivering consistent hues on set decoration, greenery, and bloodshed. Skintones are accurate. Delineation is strong.

Kills on Wheels Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides compelling immersion, with surrounds periodically active to explore busy locations and the bustle of the hospital setting. Dialogue exchanges are sharp and true, securing emotional moods and louder, harder violent encounters. Sound effects retain snap. Scoring is crisp, with tight instrumentation, and soundtrack selections bring a fuller low-end. Atmospherics are evocative.

Kills on Wheels Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (7:35, HD) explore Rupaszov's relationship with a cancer-stricken inmate, a charged lunch between Zolika and his mother, and showcases some creative differences between Zolika and Barba.

• Making-Of Documentary (6:26, HD) is actually a series of short promotional clips introducing the cast and director.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:47, HD) is included.

Kills on Wheels Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Kills on Wheels" is assembled with care by Till, who's questing to provide a different perspective on the physically disabled, moving beyond wheelchair woes to create authentic characters, unafraid to be a little funny when necessary, and his command of action is impressive, adding some fire to Rupaszov's dangerous dealings. There are deep-seated abandonment issues as well, finding Zolika caught between reality he experiences and the life he's always wanted, pouring his energy into the creation of the comic book as a way to deal with everything in front of him. There are psychological abysses to examine and physical challenges to inspect, but "Kill on Wheels" never becomes maudlin. It's steely when it needs to be and vulnerable without cliché, with Till mastering a tonal balance and various emotional arcs with pleasing skill, coming up with an original vision for life's painful challenges and personal growth.