They Will Kill You

Plot Summary

The film opens with sisters Asia and Maria Reaves attempting to flee their abusive father. Cornered at a convenience store, Asia shoots him and is arrested, while Maria remains in his custody. Ten years later, Asia arrives at the Virgil, an exclusive century-old high-rise in New York City, posing as the new maid. She is greeted by the building's Irish superintendent, Lily Woodhouse. On her first night, Asia is attacked by masked intruders, including residents Kevin Sullivan and Sharon Vanderbilt, but she reveals formidable combat skills and kills them. Asia confronts Lily, demanding to know the whereabouts of her sister Maria, who works as a maid in the building.

Asia's attackers resurrect, revealing the building's supernatural nature, and she is forced to flee into the ventilation system. She is saved by Lily's husband, Ray Woodhouse, who explains the Virgil is a temple to Satan where residents gain immortality through human sacrifice. Asia and Ray locate Maria, but she reveals she is aware of the cult's activities and enjoys the building's comforts, refusing to leave. After Asia knocks her unconscious, they are attacked by cultists. Asia and Maria escape via a dumbwaiter while Ray is captured by Lily and Sharon, whose decapitated head is regenerating.

In a subsequent confrontation, Maria explains she fled before their father died of cancer and was hired at the Virgil, where she was spared from sacrifice. Lily mobilizes the cult to hunt the sisters. Maria saves Asia from an attacker but is captured. Asia pursues and slaughters numerous cultists with a burning axe. The sisters attempt to escape via an elevator shaft but are ambushed and captured. Lily reveals that for Maria to gain immortality, she must sacrifice the maid Asia was impersonating, with failure resulting in Maria's own death.

The captives are taken to the top floor where the cult summons Satan, who communicates through a possessed pig's head inscribed with the names of the immortal cultists. The pig orders Ray's name removed, causing Lily to kill him permanently. It then instructs Maria to write her own name and kill Asia. Instead, Maria writes Asia's name and kills herself. Asia becomes immortal and proceeds to repeatedly kill the cultists. Lily allows the pig's head to possess her body and duels Asia, who overpowers her, removes the head, douses it in bleach, and sets it on fire. Burning the names kills all the cultists. Asia retrieves Maria's body and leaves the building, which explodes. Reunited with an associate, Asia reveals she cut Maria's name from the pig's head and changed it to her own, causing Maria to resurrect as the sisters drive away.

Cast and Characters

The film features an ensemble cast led by Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves, an ex-convict with formidable fighting skills searching for her sister. Myha'la portrays Maria Reaves, Asia's younger sister who works as a maid at the Virgil and has a complicated relationship with the cult's world, with Orefile Moloi playing a younger version of the character. Paterson Joseph plays Ray Woodhouse, the husband of the superintendent who aids Asia. Tom Felton appears as Kevin Sullivan, a member of the Satanic cult residing in the building. Heather Graham plays Sharon Vanderbilt, another cult member and friend of Kevin. Patricia Arquette stars as Lily Woodhouse, the Irish superintendent of the Virgil and the ruthless leader of the cult. Supporting roles include Gabe Gabriel as a cultist named Short Steve, James Remar as the voice of the demonic Pig's Head, and Angus Sampson as Asia's private investigator and lawyer. The cast's performances, particularly Beetz's physically demanding and emotionally charged lead role, were a focal point in the film's critical reception.

Production

The development of They Will Kill You was announced in June 2024 as the first film under producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti's new production company, Nocturna, with Zazie Beetz attached to star. In July 2024, New Line Cinema acquired the distribution rights for the project. Casting continued through August 2024 with the additions of Myha'la, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette, while Paterson Joseph was also confirmed as part of the ensemble. Principal photography took place in Cape Town, South Africa, towards the end of 2024, wrapping production in December of that year. The film is an international co-production involving companies and financing from South Africa, the United States, and Canada.

The production timeline involved several key milestones:

• June 2024: Project announced with Zazie Beetz starring and Nocturna producing.
• July 2024: New Line Cinema picked up distribution rights.
• August 2024: Myha'la, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette joined the cast.
• Late 2024: Filming occurred in Cape Town, South Africa.
• December 2024: Principal photography concluded.

Release and Distribution

They Will Kill You had its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on March 17, 2026. Warner Bros. Pictures, through its New Line Cinema label, then released the film widely in theatres across the United States and Canada on March 27, 2026. The film's subsequent home media release followed a staggered schedule. It first became available for digital purchase and rental on various streaming platforms on April 28, 2026. Physical media editions, including 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD, were released on June 30, 2026, allowing audiences to own a copy of the film.

The film's release was marked by several key dates across different formats:

• March 17, 2026: World premiere at the SXSW Film Festival.
• March 27, 2026: Wide theatrical release in the United States and Canada.
• April 28, 2026: Digital release on streaming platforms.
• June 30, 2026: Physical media release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Reception

The critical response to They Will Kill You was mixed. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 169 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.2 out of 10. The site's critical consensus highlighted the film's hyper-stylized action and gothic setting but noted its cyclical structure could become repetitive, concluding that Zazie Beetz's performance made the violence 'infectiously fun'. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 50 out of 100 based on 28 reviews, indicating 'mixed or average' critiques. Audience reception, as measured by CinemaScore, gave the film an average grade of 'B−' on a scale from A+ to F.

The film's commercial performance was modest. It grossed a total of $19 million at the worldwide box office. The breakdown of this total shows it earned $11 million from theatrical releases in the United States and Canada. An additional $8 million was generated from all other international territories combined. The following table details the box office performance by region.

They Will Kill You grossed a worldwide total of $19 million. The film earned $11 million in the United States and Canada and $8 million in other territories. It received mixed reviews from critics and a CinemaScore grade of B- from audiences. The film's blend of action, horror, and dark comedy elements found an audience despite its mid-tier box office performance.

Key Themes and Genre Elements

They Will Kill You operates primarily within the action comedy horror genre, blending intense fight sequences with grotesque supernatural horror and moments of dark humour. A central theme is the fraught but unbreakable bond of sisterhood, explored through Asia's relentless quest to save Maria and Maria's ultimate sacrificial act to save Asia. The film critiques systems of power and exploitation, with the Virgil's wealthy, elite residents literally feeding on others to maintain their immortality, a metaphor for class disparity. The setting itself is a key character. The ornate, gothic, and labyrinthine high-rise creates a claustrophobic battleground where the rules of life and death are perverted by a Satanic pact.

The narrative structure is notably cyclical, reflecting the cult's own cycle of death and resurrection. This is manifested in the repeated combat encounters and the characters' ability to return from fatal injuries, a concept that drives both the plot and the film's thematic exploration of consequence and permanence. The film employs vivid, stylized violence that is often exaggerated and graphic, leaning into its horror-comedy roots. Key visual and narrative elements that define the film's unique tone include:

• The demonic Pig's Head as a conduit for Satan, voiced by James Remar.
• The regenerative abilities of the cultists that turn fights into prolonged ordeals.
• The transformation of mundane items like a dumbwaiter or a burning axe into crucial tools for survival.
• The Virgil high-rise itself as a 100-year-old gothic temple and setting for the entire conflict.
• The central conflict driven by the sisters' attempt to break the cycle of sacrifice and immortality.

Questions about They Will Kill You

What is the plot of They Will Kill You?

The film follows an ex-convict who answers an ad to be a housekeeper at a mysterious New York City high-rise that has seen a number of disappearances over the years. She arrives at the Virgil posing as the new maid. The building is a temple to Satan, and its wealthy residents are an immortal cult that performs human sacrifices. The ex-convict fights the cultists to find her sister, who works as a maid in the building.

How did critics and audiences receive the film?

Critical reception was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of reviews were positive, praising its style and Zazie Beetz's performance but critiquing repetitive elements. Metacritic gave it a score of 50, indicating average reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a 'B−' grade. The film grossed a total of $19 million at the worldwide box office.

Is They Will Kill You a Canadian film?

They Will Kill You is an international co-production film between South Africa, the United States and Canada. It is not solely a Canadian film but a collaborative effort involving these three nations. The film's production involved entities from all three countries, making it a multinational project. This co-production structure is common for films that aim to access funding and tax incentives from multiple sources. The story is set in New York City, but its creation was a global endeavour.

Who stars in They Will Kill You?

The film stars Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves, an ex-convict, and Myha'la as her younger sister Maria Reaves. The main cast also includes Paterson Joseph as Ray Woodhouse, Tom Felton as cultist Kevin Sullivan, Heather Graham as cultist Sharon Vanderbilt, and Patricia Arquette as the cult leader Lily Woodhouse. Supporting roles feature Orefile Moloi as young Maria, Gabe Gabriel as Short Steve, James Remar as the voice of the Pig's Head, and Angus Sampson as Asia's private investigator. This ensemble brings the story of a satanic cult in a high-rise to life.

When was They Will Kill You released?

They Will Kill You was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on March 27, 2026. It first premiered at the SXSW festival on March 17, 2026. Following its theatrical run, the film became available on digital streaming platforms on April 28, 2026. Subsequently, it was released on physical media formats including 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 30, 2026. These dates mark the film's rollout across various distribution channels throughout 2026.

Who directed and wrote They Will Kill You?

They Will Kill You is directed by Kirill Sokolov, from a script he co-wrote with Alex Litvak. The film was the first project under Andy and Barbara Muschietti's new production company, Nocturna. In July 2024, New Line Cinema picked up the distribution rights to the film. The production was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, with shooting concluding in December 2024. This creative team and production path brought the action comedy horror film to audiences.

Sources and further reading

• They Will Kill You (Wikipedia)
• They Will Kill You (rottentomatoes.com)
• They Will Kill You (2026) directed by Kirill Sokolov (letterboxd.com)
• They Will Kill You (tv.apple.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-05.