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The Kill Room
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Swearing, murder, drug use in lightweight crime comedy.
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The Kill Room
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What's the Story?
In THE KILL ROOM, struggling art dealer Patrice (Uma Thurman) hasn't been able to sell anything lately and is on the verge of losing her gallery. When her drug dealer, Nate (Matthew Maher), arrives to collect payment for her supply of Adderall, Patrice gives him a painting instead. Nate shows the painting to his boss, Gordon (Samuel L. Jackson), who runs his crime operation out of a Jewish bakery. Gordon has a great idea: Since the price of art is entirely arbitrary, why not use Patrice's gallery to launder money? Desperate, Patrice reluctantly agrees, but they need one thing to make the deal legit: paintings. So Gordon enlists his paid assassin, Reggie (Joe Manganiello), to do the job. Reggie, who signs his work "The Bagman," unexpectedly becomes a phenomenon, bringing all kinds of attention -- both good and bad -- to Patrice and the gallery.
Is It Any Good?
This silly, lightweight crime comedy doesn't exactly have the most air-tight story, but the cast seems to be all in, having a good time and elevating the movie to "not bad" status. Directed by Nicol Paone, The Kill Room suffers slightly from its blocky style, with actors photographed head-on, with lots of cuts back and forth during their exchanges. It creates a slight remove, as if they're talking to themselves. (This method is sometimes used when actors aren't on set at the same time.) But when Paone is able to compose her actors in the same frame, things loosen up considerably. Thurman brings a screwball zaniness to her character (and even plays a bonus scene with her real-life daughter, Maya Hawke), and Jackson seems to be having fun with his quirky character. Manganiello brings unexpected heart to his reluctant assassin character, and Jennifer Kim is hilarious as a somewhat over-the-top art dealer. It's fun to see the kooky millionaire art collectors buffaloed, too. The ending of The Kill Room is rather shoehorned into place, but it's all done with a generous measure of goodwill.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Kill Room's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How are drug use and drinking portrayed? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Could any of the characters be considered role models? Why, or why not?
Who decides which kinds of art are valuable and which kinds aren't?
Did you notice positive diverse representations in the film? What about stereotypes?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 29, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: December 5, 2023
- Cast: Uma Thurman , Joe Manganiello , Samuel L. Jackson
- Director: Nicol Paone
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors, Black actors
- Studio: Shout! Studios
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 98 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: pervasive language, violence, and drug use
- Last updated: December 6, 2023
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