Character and Kill List

Kill List is broken down into three fairly distinct parts. The first features a domestic life that is anything but serene and becomes the spine of the film. The second is a story of hitmen who are also friends. The third shall remain a secret, but there are hints to this conclusion throughout Kill List. This last segment is by far the most interesting and dynamic part of the movie, but even though we go out on a high note, it's not particularly resonant because little is done to make any of the characters believable. As a result, the finale falls short and everything leading up to it is a drag. Basically, the ending exists to make the audience say, "whoa," and never think of the movie again.

Jay and Shel are married and unhappy. Shel wants Jay to get back to work after eight months and he's less inclined to do so. Money is tight and they have a son in front of whom they often fight. Guests come over for dinner and that turns for the worse. But, there are moments of happiness. Jay obviously loves his son and they all have fun play-acting some kind of medieval battle. This is supposed to set the stage for the rest of Kill List. Unfortunately, it plays as hitting all of the bullet points of creating a "real" domestic situation without convincing anyone. It's like a socially awkward person who tries to imitate the behavior of others to give the appearance of comfort, but fails miserably in the process.

Writer-director Ben Wheatley and his co-writer Amy Jump cobble together these moments as plot contrivances. While everything that happens in all movies is contrived, great movies make contrivance feel organic and like it's the only option available. In order to get away with having such poorly developed characters, Wheatley and Jump need to have a much better hook in their plot. Conversely, if the characters were stronger, the plot contrivances wouldn't be so glaring (see The Walking Dead for the most obvious example of this in the history of ever). As it stands, we don't care about Jay and Shel which destroys the impact of the ending since it relies on our involvement with said characters.

It's no surprise that the most affecting moment in Kill List comes from the hitmen and friends Jay and Gal (who is mind-blowingly the same actor who played Tyres in Spaced). There is a clear history, a sense of purpose, we understand their actions, and though they butt heads, there's not question why they are friends. If the level of care put into this relationship had been there for the husband-wife relationship, Kill List could have been something more than a dull movie with a pretty awesome (if empty) ending.