OVERVIEW
Kill, directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, is an Indian action film that takes place within the narrow corridors of a New Delhi-bound train. Amrit Rathod, an army commando, boards the train on a personal errand, intending to intervene in his girlfriend’s arranged marriage. When a gang connected to a powerful family seizes control of the train and turns on its passengers, Amrit becomes the only person standing between the criminals and everyone aboard.
THE REVIEW
Kill is not a movie with a complex narrative or three-dimensional characters, but the script and the performances do enough to set the pieces in motion and to keep audiences engaged in the escalation of events.
The film’s big win is that it is able to sustain the constant action without creating fatigue in the audience. This is achieved by a well-crafted and original choreography, creative kills, and by having a vulnerable protagonist. It also utilizes its setting very well. Trains have already been used to great effect in action movies (Snowpiercer, Source Code) and here, the movement and confinement is used to great effect. Making the train stop a few of times is a mistake, as not only does it pause the build-up, but it also adds a few holes to the plot (there are moments that characters could have just left the train, saving themselves from trouble).
For viewers unfamiliar with Indian cinema, some of the dialogue and moments might come off as cheesy, and the film’s extreme violence is not for the faint-hearted, but despite these quirks, Kill delivers with formidable villains, a charismatic protagonist, and some truly memorable action scenes (one that involves a head catching fire is hard to forget), making it a thrilling and enjoyable ride.