‘Kill’ Movie Review: Lakshya and Raghav Juyal’s Brutal Thriller Redefines Action Films for Bollywood! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Kill Movie Review: It feels good to watch a Hindi action film where every kick and punch is felt, where every blow lands with a bone-shattering impact that makes you wince and squirm on the other side of the screen without the need to use slo-mo or fast cuts. It feels good to watch a Hindi film where the protagonist may be a soldier, but there are no deshbhakti (patriotic) dialogues, national flags being waved, or rousing scores to whitewash his killing spree. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Kill is not for the faint-hearted; it is brutal, gruesome, and, by the end, even numbing. It lacks a conventional plot structure; after an initial plot setup, Kill dives straight into the action. Yet, for all its convention-breaking tropes, Kill stands out as one of the finest action films seen in Indian cinema in recent times. Kill Review: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Raghav Juyal-Starrer Opens to Positive Response at TIFF 2023, Critics Call Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Directorial As ‘Unbelievably Good’.

Amrit Rathore (Lakshya) is an NSG commando whose girlfriend Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) informs him that her father is forcing her into an engagement with someone else. Accompanied by his friend and fellow commando Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan), Amrit tries to help her elope after her engagement function. When that doesn't work, he travels on the same train to New Delhi as her family, hoping to find an opportunity to run away with her.

Watch the Trailer of 'Kill':

Unfortunately, the train, or rather four A/C compartments of it, is hijacked by a group of violent dacoits led by the erratic Fani (Raghav Juyal) and his father Beni (Ashish Vidyarthi). Amrit, using his NSG skills, initially acts as a determined knight in shining armour, trying to save his loved ones. However, he soon becomes a relentless killing machine, mowing down the robbers, who clearly chose the wrong train to board.

'Kill' Movie Review - Not for The Faint-Hearted!

When international reviews called Kill India's goriest action film, I was surprised. When I started watching the film, and the violence began, I felt sceptical about those claims. The action was quite vicious, no doubt, but I had seen more violent Indian films, especially from the South (like the recent Tamil hit Maharaja), which escaped with a lesser censor rating (Kill, for the uninformed, is rated A... please don't bring your kids). My scepticism faded after the film dropped its title card at the midpoint, warning things would get more intense from there. As promised, Kill ramps up the brutality and gore to such a degree that I felt numb by the end. If the first half felt like a tough but digestible starter, then the second half is a stomach-churning main course, and I mean that as a compliment!

Skulls are cracked, brains splattered, heads burnt, throats ripped, stomachs cut open... the kills get more vicious with each scene, and the film almost never cuts away from showing the murders in excruciating detail. However, the violence is not without meaning or rhythm. Amrit's bloodthirsty anger towards the antagonists is revenge-driven and mired with a rescuer spirit, but after cheering some of his gory kills (Kill has a surprising mass appeal), I occasionally wondered if he was going overboard. Even a villain asks him why he killed 40 of his men when they only killed four. But the compact runtime and intense setup don't allow much contemplation - for Amrit, they are the enemy who infiltrated his battleground. It is like a severely brutal Die Hard on a train without the quips.

The action sequences are wondrously choreographed (Se-yeong Oh, Parvez Shaikh) with excellently innovative use of the confined train compartments, including the restrooms. The fluid camerawork (Rafey Mehmood) and slick editing (Shivkumar V Panicker) maintain the uninterrupted flow of violence. Credit must also go to the sound design, VFX, and makeup teams to make the punches, kicks, stabs, and gunshots feel realistic enough to impact the viewer.

'Kill' Movie Review - Effective Use of Its Supporting Characters

I also liked how Kill uses its antagonists. They are not just dacoits who become fodder for the protagonist's bloodthirstiness. They are an extended family who mourn their fallen and even consider getting off the train as casualties mount. They are treated like proper characters, even if most of them end up mincemeated. The film hints at their caste; their leader fears what would happen if a powerful Thakur on the same train escapes and uses his clout against them. At the same time, Kill becomes problematic with its caste politics - in the end, the 'Thakur' is a victim, 'Rathore' is the saviour, and the foes, with their undisclosed caste identity, are vanquished.

The film doesn't leave the other passengers as mere bystanders but puts them to use when needed. In fact, perhaps Kill's most satisfying... well, 'kill' belongs not to the hero but is unexpectedly carried out by someone else.

'Kill' Movie Review - Redefining Action for Hindi Cinema

Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is no stranger to crafting gritty thrillers. His previous film, Apurva, was an underrated hostage thriller (featuring a surprisingly career-best performance from Tara Sutaria) that suffered from monotony after a point. Kill is not driven by its plot - I heard a senior critic at my press screening complain, 'Where's the story?' - frankly, this is an exception that doesn't need a normal screenplay. The action set pieces get the ball rolling, though the monotony does set in by the end. But then, the film was merely minutes away from its conclusion.

What's notable is that with Kill, Bhat proved that Hindi cinema can produce an actioner that reaches international levels without going bombastic. At the time of writing this review, there are reports that John Wick director Chad Stahelski is planning a remake, which is impressive for an industry used to remaking Hollywood films. Hopefully, Kill changes perceptions among Hindi audiences that good action doesn't mean blowing up all the vehicles or using excessive editing to hide performers' laziness. Sometimes, a simple hand-to-hand combat, done right - like the final face-off between Amrit and Feni - is enough to charge things up.

'Kill' Movie Review - Charged Up Performances

As for the performances, Lakshya makes a smashing big-screen debut in a role that Tiger Shroff should have taken instead of films like Ganpath and BMCM. Lakshya is effortless in the action scenes and is decent in the emotional sequences. Respecting Bollywood actioner traditions, he even goes shirtless for the ladies, though not for gratuitous purposes. After two failed big screen debuts, both with Dharma Productions (who is backing this movie), I am glad that the young actor finally got a good role with enough to bite and end up with an impressive show.

Raghav Juyal is a surprise standout as the impetuous Feni, delivering the film's funniest lines and being demented enough to make you hate him. I had seen him improve as a performer in the comedy Bahut Hua Samman, but here Juyal leaves an indelible impression as the desi, crazier 'Hans Gruber' of the show. His Bahut Hua Samman co-star Abhishek Chauhan also leaves a mark as the hero's equally brave bestie, and there is one scene between the two actors that reminded me of an intense but heartbreaking fight scene from Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.

Tanya Maniktala is lovely and charming, effectively providing the emotional impetus for the hero's bloody ride. Ashish Vidyarthi also puts up a good show as the level-headed dacoit leader whose downfall comes from being unable to rein in his son. The rest of the cast is well-chosen.

'Kill' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Kill is what you get when John Wick meets Die Hard in a zombie-less Train to Busan setup. It is a raw, unrelenting action film that redefines the genre within Hindi cinema with unapologetic brutality and skilful choreography. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's bold direction, combined with commendable performances, particularly by Lakshya and Raghav Juyal, creates a gripping experience that, despite the onscreen brutalities, demands a recall value, a rarity in Hindi films these days. Go for it if you are an action-hound and have the stomach to digest the excessive gore.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2024 10:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).