Underrated Comedy Thriller Reunites Tarantino’s Biggest Stars
Sometimes you stumble across a movie that seems to have all of the ingredients of a major hit, with none of the notoriety. One such example of this trend is 2023’s The Kill Room, which boasts a trio of big-name leads, some fun over-the-top action, and a simple yet exciting premise. For anyone like me who would be super interested in catching this film, but never heard of it until today, be sure to check out The Kill Room on Starz.
The Kill Room Is Jam-Packed With Talent
As mentioned, The Kill Room stars a trio of massive names in the leading roles, including Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and Joe Manganiello. While Manganiello is best known for his work in projects such as True Blood and Magic Mike XXL, Jackson and Thurman are each best recognized from their respective collaborations with auteur filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Specifically, Uma Thurman stars as The Bride in Tarantino’s bloody opus Kill Bill, while Samuel L. Jackson leads the cast of numerous films from the controversial director, including Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.
A Mother-Daughter Outing?
The remaining cast of The Kill Room is rounded out by talented yet lesser-known performers, save for Stranger Things star Maya Hawke, who is also Uma Thurman’s real-life daughter. The film was written by Joke Man producer Jonathan Jacobson and directed by Friendsgiving filmmaker Nicol Paone. The film serves as Jacobson’s only feature length writing credit, though the scribe has numerous hits in his production catalogue including a number of television specials and celebrity interview sessions.
An Abstract Art Money Laundering Heist
The narrative of The Kill Room centers around a crime syndicate run by Samuel L. Jackson’s Gordon. While trying to find new and creative ways to pay his hitman Reggie (Joe Manganiello) without the prying eyes of the IRS getting involved, Gordon reaches out to an art museum curator named Patrice (Uma Thurman) with a money laundering scheme. The scheme would see Reggie slapping together some abstract art in his free time, described in the trailer as looking like “a Smurf with diarrhea,” which Patrice can legally sell at a massive price.
Of Course The Collectors Want The Bad Art
At first, everything seems to go according to plan, as Patrice moves the art, takes a percentage of the sale for facilitating the sale, and passes along a clean and legal check to Gordon and Reggie. That is, until genuine art critics start to become interested in Reggie’s work, highlighting him as the new Banksy due to his anonymity. Before long, the art side hustle presented in The Kill Room becomes more profitable than the actual hit man work, which causes a great deal of tension within the criminal underworld.
An Amusing Thrill-Ride Streaming On Starz
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The film can sort of be described as a mix of Velvet Buzzsaw, American Fiction, and The Hitman’s Bodyguard, offering a blend of thrilling and comedic moments which culminate in an over-the-top climactic conclusion. While I personally find The Kill Room to be a fun low-commitment effort, it’s easy to see why the low-budget film didn’t make as much of a splash as you might hope. Still, The Kill Room is a solid outing which you can definitely enjoy if you stream it on Starz today.
