Wikipedia

Kill (film)

Kill is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar, Guneet Monga, Apoorva Mehta and Achin Jain. The film stars Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya and Tanya Maniktala.[2][3][4][5]

Kill
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNikhil Nagesh Bhat
Written byNikhil Nagesh Bhat
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRafey Mehmood
Edited byShivkumar V. Panicker
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byAA Films
Release dates
  • 7 September 2023 (2023-09-07) (TIFF)
  • 5 July 2024 (2024-07-05) (India)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Kill premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2023, where it was first runner-up for the People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness.[6][7][8][9] It was also screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024.[10][11][12] It was theatrically released on 5 July 2024.

Premise

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When army commando Amrit finds out his girlfriend Tulika 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 begin to terrorize innocent passengers on the 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.[13]

Cast

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  • Lakshya as Amrit
  • Raghav Juyal as Fani
  • Tanya Maniktala as Tulika
  • Abhishek Chauhan as Viresh
  • Ashish Vidyarthi as Beni
  • Adrija Sinha as Aahna
  • Harsh Chhaya as Baldev Singh Thakur
  • Avanish pandey as TTE
  • Parth Tiwari as Siddhi
  • Akshay Vichare as Ujala
  • Jitendra Kumar Sharma as Akhilesh Jha (RPF personnel)
  • Rupesh Kumar Charanpahari as Bishnu
  • Sahil Gangurde as Badlu
  • Priyam Gupta as Kulli
  • Vivek Kashyap as Mukund
  • Sameer Kumar as Bechan
  • Calib Logan as Brahmeshwar
  • Moses Marton as Murari
  • Reyazz as Surajbhan
  • Shakti Singh as Laddan

Production

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Less than a month prior to its premiere at Toronto, Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment announced the film Kill to be directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, as the first in a content partnership announced in May 2023.[14]

Release

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Kill premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2023. The film had a theatrical release in India on 5 July 2024.[15][16][17] In October 2023, Lionsgate acquired distribution rights to the film for North America and the United Kingdom, marking one of the first instances of a Hollywood studio acquiring a Hindi-language film to directly release in the United States.[18][19][20] The film released over 1000 screens across North America.[21] Lionsgate, in association with Roadside Attractions, later scheduled the film for a theatrical release in the United States on 4 July 2024, a day before its release in India.[22] AA Films have reportedly bought the distribution rights for Indian theatrical release. BF Distribution is set to release the film for an Argentina theatrical release on 11 July 2024. Paris Filmes in will release the film in Brazilian theaters on September 19 2024.

Reception

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Critical response

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A critic for Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "On the whole, Kill is a violent and stylish action entertainer."[23] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 3.5/5 stars and expressed "Kill has a moral compass, a clear context for the 'war' that unfolds."[24] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express stated "‘Kill’ is a lean, mean killing machine."[25] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated 4/5 stars and observed "An ultra-violent film about violence, Kill's greatest accomplishment isn't its death count alone but to challenge our perception of violence".[26] Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today awarded the film 4.5/5 stars and wrote "This is an absolute must-watch for all fans of action and otherwise."[27]

Internationally, Kim Newman of British Film Institute stated "The first half isn’t exactly slower, but basic relationships have to be established before the real action can start."[28] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times rated the film R wrote "Manipulative to the max (one upsetting murder is almost pornographically protracted), “Kill” is dizzyingly impressive and punishingly vicious."[29] Catherine Bray of The Guardian opined "Kill’s objectives are achieved with an energy and enthusiasm that make it a tasty piece of action cinema which doesn’t pull its punches; it’s finger-cracking good."[30] Kevin Maher of The Times observed "The plot is painfully perfunctory, and places a lethal “national security guard commando” called Amrit".[31] Nate Richard of Collider rated the film B+ and wrote "Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's aggressively violent action flick is destined to become a cult classic."[32] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote "As brutal a film as the country has ever produced, Kill is a shockingly graphic action showcase from an industry that typically plays violence in a more cartoony register."[33] David Ehrlich of IndieWire rated the film B+ and expressed "“Kill” makes very, very good on its goofy title by the time all is said and done, but perhaps the most surprising thing about Bhat’s action extravaganza is that it inverts expectations without ever getting off-track."[34] Shakyl Lambert of CGMagazine rated 8.5/10 and wrote "Kill is one of the best action films of the year, and action fans need to keep this one on their radar."[35] Matt Donato of /Film rated the film 9 stars out of 10. He also stated "No joyous Bollywood dance interludes — this isn't RRR. Bhat's sublimely savage Kill has more in common with take-no-prisoners Indonesian badassery like The Night Comes for Us or The Raid, accentuating breakneck violence that flows like a gushing river of blood from gaping knife wounds."[36] Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine rated the film R and wrote "The action is kinetic and chaotic as bodies are sent bouncing off seats, windows, floors, and ceilings."[37] Andrew Mack of Screen Anarchy observed "The violence is not fancy and intricate, but fast and harsh, with a survivor’s instinct at the forefront."[38] Critic Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave a mixed review and wrote "Kill tics off most of the essential boxes for a good popcorn flick, making it easy to resist but harder to pass up."[39]

Remake

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On July 1, 2024, three days prior to Kill's North American theatrical release, Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, which have previously collaborated on the John Wick franchise, announced an English-language remake of the film.[40][41][42]

References

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  1. ^ "Kill (18)". BBFC. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Kill Movie (2024) | Release Date, Review, Cast, Trailer". Gadgets 360. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Kill (2023)". Letterboxd. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Kill (2023) | MUBI". Mubi. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  5. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (6 December 2023). "Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, Director Of TIFF Entry & Lionsgate Acquisition 'Kill', Signs With WME". Deadline. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  6. ^ Steve Pond, "'American Fiction' Wins Toronto Film Festival's Audience Award". TheWrap, 17 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Kill". TIFF. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  8. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (8 September 2023). "Karan Johar, Guneet Monga Kapoor, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat on Toronto Film 'Kill': 'Even 'John Wick' Gives You Some Respite, This Is Relentless'". Variety. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Karan Johar's production 'Kill' to premier at Toronto International Film Festival". The Indian Express. PTI. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  10. ^ Jha, Subhash K (14 June 2024). "Tribeca Goes Crazy Over Karan Johar And Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Action Film Kill | Exclusive". Times Now. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Kill | 2024 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca Festival. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (15 June 2024). "Tribeca 2024: Lakshya, Karan Johar attend 'Kill' premiere in New York City". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Kill (2024) Official Trailer". Lionsgate UK. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  14. ^ Jha, Lata (17 August 2023). "Dharma Productions, Sikhya Entertainment announce new film 'Kill'". Mint. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's action film 'Kill' to land in theatres in July". The Hindu. PTI. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ^ Singh, Rajni (9 February 2024). "Kill: Lakshya's actioner backed by Karan Johar-Guneet Monga gets a release date after winning praise globally". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Raghav Juyal's 'Kill' release date out". India Today. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (30 October 2023). "Lionsgate Picks Up North American & UK Rights To Indian Action Pic 'Kill' In Rare Studio Deal For Hindi Movie". Deadline. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  19. ^ Mendelson, Scott (30 October 2023). "Lionsgate Nabs U.S. and UK Rights For Indian Actioner 'Kill'". TheWrap. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  20. ^ Mishra, Shrishty (31 October 2023). "'Kill' Lands Groundbreaking Deal With Lionsgate for Theatrical Release". Collider. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  21. ^ Bhattacharya, Trisha (20 June 2024). "'Kill' set to become first Hindi film to release in over 1000 screens in North America". India Today. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  22. ^ Complex, Valerie (4 April 2024). "'Kill' Teaser Trailer: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Action-Packed Gore Fest To Hit Theaters This Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  23. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (3 July 2024). "Kill Movie Review: KILL is a violent and stylish action entertainer". Bollywood Hungama.
  24. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (3 July 2024). "Kill Review: Hindi Cinema Has Never Produced Anything Quite Like This". NDTV. Retrieved 4 July 2024.     
  25. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (2 July 2024). "Kill movie review: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal deliver a distinctively desi lean, mean killing machine". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 July 2024.     
  26. ^ Verma, Sukanya (3 July 2024). "Kill Review: The Great Train Rampage". Rediff.com. Retrieved 4 July 2024.     
  27. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Zinia (2 July 2024). "'Kill' Review: Raghav Juyal, Lakshya take us on a raw, reckless, gory ride". India Today. Retrieved 4 July 2024.     
  28. ^ Newman, Kim (2 July 2024). "Kill review: non-stop crowdpleasing carnage". British Film Institute. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  29. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (4 July 2024). "'Kill' Review: The Title Says It All. Over and Over Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  30. ^ Bray, Catherine (4 July 2024). "Kill review – ultraviolent Indian train thriller is finger-cracking good". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2024.     
  31. ^ Maher, Kevin (5 July 2024). "Kill review — the most violent action movie you'll ever see". The Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  32. ^ Richard, Nate (9 September 2023). "'Kill' Review: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Action Film Is Bloody Brilliant | TIFF 2023". Collider. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  33. ^ Debruge, Peter (6 October 2023). "'Kill' Review: A Train, Two Commandos and 40 Thieves Add Up to One Bloody Action Bonanza". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  34. ^ Ehrlich, David (3 July 2024). "'Kill' Review: Indian Bandits Pick the Wrong Train to Rob in One of the Best Pure Action Movies Since 'The Raid'". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  35. ^ Lambert, Shakyl (31 October 2023). "Kill (2023) Review – TIFF 2023 – CGMagazine". CGMagazine. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  36. ^ Donato, Matt (29 September 2023). "Kill Review: India Gets Its Own The Raid In This Ultra-Violent Action Movie [Fantastic Fest 2023]". /Film. Retrieved 10 April 2024.          
  37. ^ McIndoe, Ross (30 June 2024). "'Kill' Review: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Killer Action Extravaganza". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2024.     
  38. ^ Mack, Andrew (10 September 2023). "Toronto 2023 Review: KILL, An Army of One Versus an Army of Train Thieves". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  39. ^ Abrams, Simon (4 July 2024). "Kill movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 4 July 2024.((rating2.5|5}}
  40. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (1 July 2024). "'John Wick' Producers 87Eleven, Lionsgate Developing English-Remake Of Indian Action Movie 'Kill'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  41. ^ "English remake of 'Kill' in the works with 'John Wick' director Chad Stahelski attached to produce". The Hindu. PTI. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  42. ^ "John Wick director Chad Stahelski to produce Hollywood remake of Kill, says he's looking forward to collaborating with Karan Johar, Guneet Monga". The Indian Express. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
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