They Will Kill You Review: Zazie Beetz Elevates a Flawed Horror Ride

The It filmmakers, Andy and Barbara Muschietti, deliver a film loaded with flesh-ripping spectacle but devoid of real tension. Despite its stylistic ambition, the movie relies solely on shocking, entertaining cult imagery rather than genuine thrills. 

In this They Will Kill You review, discover the film’s wildest moments and biggest flaws to decide if it’s worth the madness. 

Plot details of They Will Kill You (2026)

Asia Reaves (played by Zazie Beetz) is job hunting and feels she’s hit the jackpot when she applies for a lucrative housekeeping job in a grand New York high-rise. She quickly receives a response and an invitation to the building.​

She reaches the door of a seemingly satanic building, which is answered by Lily (Patricia Arquette), who does not know that Asia is not here for a job. She was there to find her younger sister, Maria Reaves (Myha’la Herrold).

However, Asia soon comes to know she is an intended human sacrifice for a demonic cult, after which she fights for her survival and the protection of her sister.​

Watch the nightmarish trailer here:​

Actors’ performances in They Will Kill You (2026)​

Zazie Beetz as Asia Reeves was intensely fierce, making her look like a classic hero but with modern insanity. Seeing her fight in her shorts, barefoot, was a one-of-a-kind experience that we probably weren’t ready for. Her flaming axe performance was a stylish samurai fighting sequence and one of the chaotically “ass-kicking” stunts that required high physical strength. Nevertheless, she pulled it off like a queen.​

Patricia Arquette as Lily Woodhouse delivered a powerful performance as the cold manager of the devilish hotel. Her character was complex, as she had to be a compelling antagonist who was trying her best to protect her family.

Myha’la as Maria Reaves was also convincing in her role as she was trapped amongst the unholy beings. Her gripping character work showed that she did not want to be here and that she loved her sister after all those years apart. Her role was physically demanding, especially when Asia Reaves landed a solid punch to her face. 

What do critics add to They Will Kill You review?​

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is positive about the film, as it says,

“A hyper-stylized battle royale with a vivid gothic setting, They Will Kill You‘s cyclical structure can grow repetitive, but a fierce Zazie Beetz keeps the bloodletting infectiously fun.” [Source]​

The critics agree that They Will Kill You is not flawless and that Zazie Beetz has uplifted the film in every aspect; the director probably did too much to add Kill Bill and Oldboy aesthetics mixed with Dusk Till Dawn that didn’t quite work.

The majority of the critics thought that the film was “stale,” and except for Beetz’s massive screen performance, the film had nothing else to offer. The film did not have any “original bone in its body.”

Fans’ reaction

The fans had almost the same thoughts, but they found the film “entertaining” despite its failings. The plot could have been stronger, and the characters could have had more depth; still, there’s no doubt that the bloody fun ride was actually appreciated by the fans.​

Is it worth watching?

While Zazie Beetz fully commits to the film’s brutal tone, the overall execution falls short of her performance. The gore-filled movie did not impress much when it came to the story. There was a bit of background to the beginnings of the cult and why the building was made such, which did not add any considerable substance to the splatter-fest flick.

The pacing was quick, which is good for the modern audience who have short attention spans due to short-form content. The action was good and had an undeniable impact from start to finish.

The eyeball-rolling scene felt unnecessary, and the ending entirely put me off. I didn’t like the pighead idea, and I feel the director could have used any other skull to demonstrate the occult practices. I did like the idea of the demonic shadow transferring itself into the head, which gave a sinister and dark effect to the ending. The demonic connection could have been portrayed better, rather than the pig’s head dancing over Lily’s head.

​The violent spectacle in this insane horror movie did gel well with the film’s requirements, but the stylish mess could not have been as impressive without Beetz. Despite being one of the craziest horror entries of the year, it lacks clear direction and never quite delivers anything truly groundbreaking, ultimately leaving me torn between admiration and frustration.

What we liked

• Zazie Beetz’s performance
• Stylish, chaotic action sequences
• The film’s hyper-stylized aesthetic
• Fast pacing

What could be better​

• Unnecessary horror elements
• Weak plot and character development
• Lack of clear narrative direction
• No consistent suspense or emotional engagement

Here is a detailed breakdown of our rating for They Will Kill You (2026):

Story/plot	5/10
Characters and acting	6.5/10
Direction and pacing	6.5/10
Visuals and cinematography	7/10
Soundtrack/score	7/10
Themes and message	3/10
Emotional impact	3/10
Creativity/originality	4/10
Rewatchability	2/10

Our rating: 6/10​

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Is They Will Kill You (2026) available for streaming?

​Warner Bros. currently distributes They Will Kill You (2026) (R-rated) in cinemas via New Line Cinema and is not available for streaming as yet.

Genre: Action, comedy, horror

IMDb rating: 6.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 63 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 77 percent on Popcornmeter

Cast: Zazie Beetz, Patricia Arquette, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Myha’la Herrold

Director: Kirill Sokolov

Writers: Alex Litvak, Kirill Sokolov

Producers: Andy Muschietti, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan

Release date: March 27, 2026

Movie runtime:  1 hour 34 minutes

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