‘Unsettling’ British psychological horror has one of ‘most brutal’ final scenes and is available to watch in UK
If you're in the mood to scare yourself sh*tless and watch some of the 'most brutal' scenes in cinematic history, these film fans reckon they've got the perfect recommendation.
Although many viewers admitted they were hiding behind cushions due to how 'disturbing' this 2011 flick is, they have also insisted it's a 'must watch'.
Ben Wheatley's psychological horror film has certainly left an impression on those who weren't scared off by it's chilling premise.
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Kill List follows former British soldiers Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley) who start working as contract killers after leaving the military.
Jay's seriously feeling the pinch financially, leading to him and his mate making a deal with a dodgy client who gives them a list of three targets - The Priest, The Librarian and The MP.
This trio aren't as innocent as it initially seems and the job gets seriously complicated - we're talking grisly deaths, torture, ultimate betrayals and even cults.
Take a look at the trailer (if you're hard enough) here:
Maskell and Smiley were hailed for their performances, while the cast also includes the likes of Twilight actress MyAnna Buring, Game of Thrones star Ben Crompton and Brit comedian Emma Fryer.
It boasts a 78 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while viewers have also given it a decent ranking on IMDb too.
Director Wheatley - who went on to create movies including High-Rise, Free Fire, RebeccaY and Meg 2: The Trench - explained that even he wondered whether he had gone too far with the contents of Kill List.
"As things went on, I wasn’t sure whether I’d made the mistake of understanding the difference between horror and horrible," the filmmaker told IndieWire in 2012. "And I think that it’s definitely a horrible film, but it was definitely a film that I was trying to make that would be scary."
He went on to discuss the personal inspiration for some of the warped scenes which have stunned fans, adding: "A lot of it is inspired by my anxieties and dreams, or should I say nightmares. Things like cults in the woods and the tunnels is all stuff I’ve had as a recurring nightmare since I was very little.
"I used to live near the woods. So that kind of side of it comes from there. I knew that it was a recurring thing and it scared me when I was little, so I suspected that it would scare a broader audience.
"I didn’t want to get into that situation where you’re relying on other films to scare, where you’re building on other films. I wanted to show the actual fears that you’ve got."
His efforts paid off, as viewers have been left pretty traumatised after watching Kill List.
One movie connoisseur dubbed Kill List 'brutal and unforgiving', while adding: "I loved it."
"I happen to enjoy movies that don't give you everything through every shot and make sure that every viewer sees all the cues," the review read. "Kill List is one of those movies. It's very intimate, close shots, overlapping audio, use of sound to create a very uncomfortable atmosphere.
"The movie is about human psychology and plays on psychology to get you to feel a certain way. There are no jumps and scare tactics."
Another dubbed it a 'nasty, gritty piece of work', saying: " I don't even like horror films but I fail to see how anyone could turn their nose up [at Kill List]."
And a third warned that the penultimate scenes aren't for the faint-hearted.
"The final act is one of the most brutal, relentlessly unsettling stretches I've ever seen in cinema (and I am not one to use words like 'ever' in reviews)," they wrote.
"I can't say that many films have truly disturbed me, but with the unique, frightening score, cinematography and grim circumstances, this is one that got deeply under my skin. A must."
For viewers in the UK who want to watch it, Kill List is available on ITVX Premium, as well as Amazon Prime.
Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, UK News, Weird
Olivia Burke