The Kill Room is a B-Movie carried by capable performances and an adequately unique concept that delivers a quirky tale of murder, money laundering, and high-art. The humor is a blend of wittiness, satire and sarcasm with Thurman, Jackson, and Manganiello leaning nicely into their roles to bring their own personal touches. Jackson lands an amusing charisma as a Jewish Deli owner with mob connections. Thurman shines as an uptight gallery owner stepping into a criminal world she thinks she’s a step ahead of. With Manganiello paying it straight – bringing both the menace of a hitman, and the grounded charm a guy suddenly captivated with his artwork instead of killing. After accidentally becoming an overnight sensation known as The Bagman in what was supposed to be a simple laundering scheme. There are pacing issues. Parts of the story could’ve been tightened up as well. The blend of the criminal underworld with a satire of the snooty art society doesn’t always work either. However, the fun this cast is clearly having in these roles, the moments of effective comedy from their performances, and the splashes of violence tossed in with the oddities of this plot does make it a decent watch.
GRADE: C+
CAST: Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Joe Manganiello, Maya Hawke, Debi Mazar, Matthew Maher, Marianne Rendon, Mike Doyle, Jennifer Kim DIRECTOR: Nicol Paone WRITER: Jonathan Jacobson DISTRIBUTOR: Shout! Studios RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes RATING: R (For language, violence, drug use) YEAR: 2023 LANGUAGE: English GENRE: Comedy/Thriller
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2023 SilverScreen Analysis.
