Forget 'John Wick', This 90%-Rated Indian Action Flick Is the Most Intense Ride of Recent Years

Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, Kill is an inventive blend of John Wick and The Raid with a Bollywood vibe. The movie follows a special forces veteran caught on a train under attack by a gang of thugs.

Set in the confined spaces of passenger cars, it's a brazen, no-holds-barred hack-and-slash action film that quickly picks up the pace, becoming a rage-fueled splatter flick by the middle.

What Is 'Kill' About?

Amrit, a special forces veteran, is the last romantic in northern India. He learns that his beloved Tulika is planning to marry someone else at her businessman father's behest. Determined to change her mind, he boards a train to Delhi and proposes to her in the restroom.

Suddenly, however, the train is attacked by a gang of robbers led by the psychopathic Fani, who decides to kidnap the bride for ransom.

The naive gangsters haven't considered one important thing: what to do if they find themselves in a confined space with a special forces officer who can take down dozens of thugs with his bare hands.

'Kill' Is All About Action and Ultraviolence in a Confined Space

The entire movie takes place in the confined spaces of passenger cars and the characters use whatever they can find as weapons, and by the end, the death toll is in the dozens.

While Kill contains the theatrics typical of Indian cinema, the villains are not devoid of human character. Amrit, a smiling romantic, first transforms into a soldier doing his duty and then into a beast driven solely by rage under the pressure of circumstances.

Meanwhile, the bandits are all relatives or close friends who mourn each other's deaths in the unequal battle.

Nikhil Nagesh Bhat doesn't copy Gareth Evans, he relishes the act of violence itself. Closer in tone to new French extreme cinema than Asian action flicks, Kill offers viewers a unique experience, entertaining them while also evoking empathy and horror.

'Kill' Is Full of Indian Flavor, Supported by a Strong Soundtrack

Kill is practically devoid of humor but still manages to evoke a smile with its impenetrable seriousness and original soundtrack.

As the thugs move through the train cars, ominous strings reminiscent of Westerns accompany them, Amrit is accompanied by heroic guitar riffs, and the composition symbolizing his descent into bloody madness includes the sounds of guns being reloaded and the roar of a motorcycle.

Bhat abruptly cuts off the music at unexpected moments, leaving the audience alone with the noise of the train, the dull thuds, and the cries of the wounded.

Kill could be criticized for its acting or the dramatic digressions in slow motion that extend the runtime, but these criticisms are unfounded. This is a common convention in Indian cinema, and the release of such films is an event in itself.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Kill'?

• Kill has 90% from critics and 86% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, Kill scored 3.5/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Kill'?

Kill is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.