Heavily based on the events of his own life, “They Will Kill You” is an intense and brutal horror film about Asia Reaves, a woman haunted by her past who is trying to save her sister Maria. The story starts with Asia who responds to a mysterious job posting to work as a housekeeper in a grand but menacing New York apartment block, The Virgil. Little does she realise, however, that there is a sinister history of disappearances and ritualistic evil in the building. While she traverses the secretive community, she learns people living in it are practicing in the name of Satan, seeking immortality by sacrificing humans. The air is charged with paranoia and creaking doors, symbols on the walls, and dangers lurking around, all adding to the sense of dread.
As the plot unfolds, Asia fights to survive against masked cult members and supernatural horrors. She discovers that the building is a temple dedicated to Satan, and that the people in the building are immortal by sacrificing others. Her sister Maria, who has worked as a maid in the building, tells her about her own dark secrets and reluctant involvement. The sisters’ escape now turns into a terrifying fight against members of the cult, and against the cult’s rituals at the top floor, where the severed head of a pig is the body of Satan. The climax has to do with sacrifices and a fight for control, whereby Asia is able to cut the pig’s head off and burn away the power of the cult, thereby liberating herself and her sister’s soul.
It is a bloody tale of good, sacrifice and strength. The change of Asia from a weak and fragile woman to a ferocious survivor is both traumatizing and motivational. The dark atmosphere, abounding violence, and the elements of the supernatural evoke a sense of drama and immersion, and a lasting impression of the power of human resolve against evil. They Will Kill You” is a dark and intense horror story that will leave you with a sense of the harshness of ritualistic evil, and a sense of loyalty, sacrifice, and hope.
