They Will Kill You Review: A bloody brilliant horror-comedy
Not only do we get two phenomenal films starring someone named Grace in one weekend, but we get two fantastic girl-boss action-horror-comedies about Satanic cults trying to kill a girl and her sister within the same week... and they were both fantastic? What a freaking good week to be a cinephile/film-fan/whatever-the-frick! I've been anticipating this film for a long time, and it was near the top of my 25 most anticipated films of 2026! A couple of friends of mine said it looked too much like Ready or Not, so they weren't interested, but that very reason was part of why I was so excited! And having seen it, it delivers a very different film stylistically, doing so with that formula in a completely distinct way. I'm so excited to talk about this film today, and equally excited you've taken time out of your day to join me here on The Reel Ranker.
As always (or at least with a few exceptions), I will talk about the negatives before moving into the positives. Honestly, this film was so fantastic that I only really have two negatives and one mixed aspect: 1) the film introduces an interesting idea about the entertainment floors and then never expands on the idea and 2) there's a CGI incarnation of Satan that's really cool, but then the form he chooses to manifest himself in, while funny, probably could've been done a little better. The final thing to touch on is that, generally, I prefer my films to have some sort of deeper theme or plot complexity, and this film is quite surface-level. This isn't at all a problem with the film, but it's enough to not secure it as a top 100 film of all time or anything. However, none of these things are really meaningful enough to see the light of day when the film's good is so good that I even care.
I'm calling it now: this film is going to be a new horror-comedy and action-horror staple for the overwhelming majority of viewers, especially if you love the Ready or Not series. I say that in the best way imaginable: it's not at all derivative of those two films, but it feels like a spin-off to that series that feels very distinct and does many things far better than those. The action and horror comedy in this film is far better than either of the Ready or Not films. By contrast, those two films execute the horror and situational/character-based comedy better. It's a beautiful thing: if I want a tense bottle thriller with some good laughs, I'll watch Ready or Not; if I want a hilarious horror comedy, I'll watch Ready or Not 2; and if I want a funny, action-packed gore-fest, I'll choose this film. They all feel fresh in their own ways, all standing on their own as some of the best of the genre, and so close in quality that I would be equally down to watch any of the three of them.
I compared it to those two films to show how great it is, but obviously, a film's credit shouldn't be measured by comparison with other films, but by its own merit. So let's get into that. I'm not good at puns, but the gore in this film is bloody brilliant. Not that it's the most impressive gore I've ever seen, but the film's use of it to create phenomenal action sequences and hilarious body humor is some of the best in the genre. Seriously, it holds its own with some of the greats, rivaling Sam Raimi's stylistic flair while still doing it in its own way. The film plays with eyeball gore and facial regeneration in such a way that any theater of 100+ people erupted in laughter for minutes straight. The style and comedy of this film are among my favorites in recent memory.
Zazie Beetz's performance is incredibly convincing and fun as a kick-a** yet sentimental scream queen. The relationship between her and her sister may not have had the greatest depth, but their characters are easy to root for and really fun to follow, in a way many horror films struggle to do. All of the villains in this film were really fun, with iconic actors like Tom Felton and Patricia Arquette as particular standouts.
The film also has some great plot twists that keep the narrative fresh throughout. While some of them were rather easy to guess, the way they played out was excellent and greatly elevated all of the reveals! This film also uses flashbacks in a fun, stylish way, with funny title cards that drop to explain them. Each of these flashbacks is used at exactly the right time, enhancing the narrative without distracting from the present-day plot.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 94%
Letter Score: S
Star Ranking: 4.5 out of 5
They Will Kill You rivals the Ready or Not series as one of the best recent horror-comedy, bottle-thriller classics. I can't help but adore this film's brilliant body comedy, gory action, fun characters, twisty plot, and supreme style—it's simply superb!
Check out all of my horror reviews below! There's a lot of fun ones, including Ready or Not 2!
Brighton Nelson
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