After an incredible reception at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Kill finally arrives on the big screen and is poised to make an equally big splash amongst action fans. So much so that Lionsgate already announced an English-language remake of the film to be executive-produced by Chad Stahleski, in addition to its original version to be released this week.
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There is much to be excited about, especially when it comes to an American studio distributing an Indian film of such scale, which has rarely happened. The last time I can think of it occurring was when Fox Searchlight distributed Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan for North American markets (Johar is one of Kill’s executive producers and has been propping up its lead star, Lakshya, for quite some time before he made his debut in Nagesh Bhat’s film).
The anticipation is also high in India, with the film garnering international acclaim before it even had a chance to premiere in its home country, though with much trepidation, as it is known to be the most violent Hindi film ever made.
Kill Plot Summary
Whether this holds true or not, I can’t be the judge of this, even after having seen a plethora of violent Indian films, though most of them came through Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cinema (Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo pushed the boundaries of violence so much that the Indian board of censors blurred out some of the film’s most gruesome moments). Seeing a Hindi film this violent felt new to me, and it’s possibly the main draw for audiences to seek it out during the Fourth of July weekend in the United States.
But it’s also the only thing Kill has going for, as the rest of the movie doesn’t hold the same weight of its propulsive action, which is entirely set on a train to New Delhi. Our protagonist, Amrit (Lakshya), is attempting to stop an arranged marriage for the love of his life, Tulika (Tanya Manikatla), and it is why he boards the train to speak to her father (Harsh Chhaya). However, a group of terrorists led by Fani (Raghav Juyal) begin to take the passengers and train hostage as they look for Tulika’s father.
Little do they know that Amrit is a highly trained commando, and he begins to kick ass and take names as soon as assailants are on his way. Within the first half of Kill, the action is rudimentary and unimpressive. Beyond some cool movements from Lakshya, who always holds his own no matter the bumps to the head he receives (and it’s a lot, a comedic touch), the multiple jarring quick cuts hamper the energy and natural rhythm of the stuntwork. Of course, it’s far from being a headscratcher, as in Prashanth Neel’s K.G.F. Chapter 1, but it’s still a major issue.
It also doesn’t help that the dramatic storyline at its core isn’t as investing as Nagesh Bhat would hope. Lakshya and Maniktala are fine performers, but the progression of their character arcs is seen coming a mile away, making its midpoint twist fairly ineffective from an emotional standpoint, as the film’s title cards appear exactly at the 45-minute mark.
Before that appearance, we were stuck with one-note characters, undercooked antagonists, and competently choreographed action dizzyingly stitched together. I was ready to throw in the towel, not understanding why the film got such high praise coming out of TIFF, with some going so far (and, to be honest, having the audacity) to compare it to Gareth Evans’ The Raid.
Once Kill Shifts Tone, It Mostly Rules
But after the title card appears, the real movie begins, and Kill immediately takes a dark shift into hyperviolent combat that rapidly pushes the boundaries of socially acceptable violence depicted on screen. There are lots of faces being pummeled to death, endless stabbings, and one human dunk straight into a toilet bowl, just to name a few things that occur during its hour-long blood-soaked carnage fest.
The ending also contains one of the most comically creative kills I’ve seen in an action picture without ever feeling like it’s over the top. Amrit is simply pissed off, filled with a rage that can never be satiated, that he decides to enact justice in his own right when all else has failed.
Of course, the villains pissed off the wrong guy, and he’ll express himself in ways that go beyond what they ever think this dude is capable of. That’s part of what makes the action so thrilling to watch, even if the plot is ridiculously simple, and Amrit, as a protagonist, isn’t as compelling as Nagesh Bhat thinks. That being said, there isn’t a single moment in which we’re not fully invested in Lakshya’s turn as the character.
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It’s even more impressive to learn this is his first foray into cinema after acting in a television series. His Tiger Shroff-esque demeanor makes his fighting skills surprisingly effective while adding splashes of Thalapathy Vijay and Ram Charan into his portrayal. Even if one note, seeing Lakshya topple one bad guy after another makes its clichés much less important than they would be had the action not taken the drastic shift that it did (alongside Amrit turning more psychotic as he’s had absolutely enough).
But it quickly gets exhausting since Nagesh Bhat has nothing else to offer beyond relentless action. Whenever the movie tries to develop its protagonists, it stays in platitudes, so the only solution for the filmmaker to overcome them is to stage repetitive action that is admittedly impressive but becomes mind-numbing as the film progresses. After all disposable bad guys are taken care of, the film ends with little to no fanfare since it has few fully developed protagonists and investing arcs for audiences to latch onto.
As a result, Kill only impresses when its spurs of action overwhelm our senses and make us ignore its character shortcomings. The villains are only here to set the plot in motion but aren’t at all important as soon as Amrit’s personality shifts. But even with its uninspired story and invariant characters, Kill still manages to hold our attention throughout and offer something that few Hindi films ever had the guts to do. It will likely be lauded internationally, which is also why it’s getting a fast-tracked English-language remake that no one needs when the original one has not had its time to make an impact.
Rating: 3.5/5
About Kill
Release Date: July 4, 2024
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Screenplay: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Music: Vikram Montrose, Shashwat Sachdev, Haroon-Gavin
Producers: Karan Johar, Guneet Monga, Apoorva Mehta, Achin Jain
Production: Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment, Roadside Attractions
Distribution: Lionsgate
Cast: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Maniktala, Abhishek Chauhan, Ashish Vidyarthi, Adrija Sinha, and Harsh Chhaya
Synopsis: When army commando Amrit (Lakshya) finds out his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is engaged against her will, he boards a New Delhi-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves led by the ruthless Fani (Raghav Juyal) begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, Amrit takes them on himself in a death-defying kill-spree to save those around him — turning what should have been a typical commute into an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride.
Kill releases in cinemas on July 5. What did you think of the movie? What is your favorite Indian action film? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow us on social media!
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