Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: KILL [Fantastic Fest 2023 - Austin, Texas]
The poetics of an action film necessitate the creation of stakes to both up the ante and the need for retribution as the body count gets higher. For "Kill", the context begins and ends with family but also approach of fighting and racheting the brutality and reasoning as the movie progresses. Army Commando Amrit travels to see his girlfriend Tulika who is set up by her father to be engaged to someone else. The crux of the picture is not that context but rather when a plethora of bandits takes a train during the family's return to New Dehli. Tulika's father doesn't even know Amrit exists. Amrit (played by newcomer Lackshya -- who is a brutal powerhouse here) starts off when the bandits start bullying and hurting the passengers to steal but then when it takes a turn specifically involving Tulika, the ante gets upped. Certain motivations of certain sides makes sense. Others seems overwrought. But really only one or two are the ones that connect to truly create the rage needed. The context of back and forth through the train also keeps accelerating without really repeating itself. Some action films don't give the reasoning but two key points in the film here really take it to task and give the audience a primal jolt of what is going on and why it goes the way it goes.
The reverse on the bandits' side is understood but the context and certain points of overwrought emotion come off a little silly because of the actions that got them where they are at . That doesn't take away from the intensity or the brutality of the fights which does bring to mind "The Raid" because of the enclosed nature of the space and using the obstacles in that favor. There is very little use if any of CG and the bloodletting is pretty visceral. Raghav Juyal plays the leader of the bandits in Fani and plays to the tongue in cheek nature understanding what the reality is. His actions propel the response so he has to be both inventive, cheeky and yet humorously diabolical. Amrit has a brother in arms named Viresh who bolsters the second act to where it needs to go. The motivation to keep Amrit moving and alive is thus well played until the very end. It is interesting comparing this to something like "Bullet Train" or "Snowpiercer", each in their own ways, though those films might have gotten mired down in character development. The reasoning of everyone here is clear though more surfaced. Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat never really lets the action let up relentlessly moving the story in rachets without overgrossing the audience but also not pulling the punches. A-
By Tim Wassberg
