India has been one of the largest movie markets in the world for the past several decades. Each year the Indian film industry releases thousands of films in the dozens of languages spoken all over the subcontinent, many of them action films — a favorite genre of Indian audiences, as proven by box office kings like last year’s Jawan and 2022’s mega success RRR. But even with India’s deep history of action cinema, there still isn’t much like what Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is doing with his newest film Kill, which takes Indian action in a gory new direction.
Army commando Amrit (played by the mononymous Lakshya) learns that the love of his life Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is set up for an arranged marriage, so he and his partner-in-arms Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) board Tulika’s New Delhi-bound train to stop the wedding. But a wrench is thrown in Amrit’s plans when the passenger train is boarded by a gang of bandits led by Fani (Raghav Juyal). The mission to rescue Tulika from her marriage now changes to protecting her and the other passengers from this violent band of criminals.
Kill’s setting shines. The train is a major element of the movie that keeps the action claustrophobic and has an “everything that isn’t nailed down is a weapon” feel. Inspired by Bhat’s own experience sleeping through a train robbery in India and made with his influences clearly on his sleeve, the final product has the action feel of Gareth Evans’ The Raid films. The car-by-car progression throughout the train is similar to the action of Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 film Snowpiercer, which also featured the work of Kill’s action choreographer Oh Se-young. Oh is a big reason for the success of Kill — the action sequences are brutal and gory, but also stylish and flashy. Bones are broken and heads are crushed with a variety of different objects found on the train.
Bhat’s work here is a big departure from what we have come to know of Bollywood. The big dance numbers and long run times that most audiences expect are absent, and in their place is sleek, fast-paced, nonstop action. It’s the kind of genre flick that might feel excessive to mainstream audiences, but is a rare gem-of-the-year for genre film lovers who need something to scratch that action-movie itch. It’s the kind of movie that makes audiences scream in horror at the violence on screen, and then continue to cheer for more.
Kill is a must-see for those looking for a bloody good time at the cinema. It’s one of the goriest movies of the year, and it delivers thrilling action set pieces of train-bound violence with impressive fight choreography, executed superbly by stars Lakshya and Juyal — not to mention wildly creative kills. Expect this one to play at midnight screenings for years to come.
