They Will Kill You proves to be a worthy horror offering on Rotten Tomatoes.
The upcoming movie follows Zazie Beetz’s housekeeper, who resides in a New York City building, but it soon becomes clear that there have been mysterious disappearances, and she is a target in what appears to be a Satanic cult. This ensues a bloody battle for survival in a high-rise death trap.
The horror comedy recently premiered at SXSW, and critics and film pundits have already dropped their reviews. Now, based on 17 reviews, They Will Kill You debuts with an impressive 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes, just a week before its release.
Many critics praise the goriness and silliness of the action, with battles containing a mix of samurai and gun-style fights. Beetz’s performance is also the standout, finding her to be an energetic and refreshing hero in her own movie.
Zazie Beetz covered in blood holding a weapon in They Will Kill You
However, more negative reviews reveal mixed feelings about the ending, and that even the brutality can be overwhelming. The film has been compared to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, given the level of bloodiness and camp.
If the score stands, They Will Kill You will continue Beetz’s Rotten Tomatoes streak, as her last four movies have been designated “fresh.” It’s also setting a clean sheet for her 2026 schedule after Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die earned 82%. The latest horror also cracked her top 10 highest-grossing movies of her career.
On the other hand, it’s one of the few times a movie features Beetz in the lead role. For much of her career, she has mostly appeared in supporting roles. This includes Domino in Deadpool 2, Janet in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, and Sophie Dumond in both Joker movies.
However, her most notable role was Van in Atlanta, where she co-starred with Donald Glover. She ultimately earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018.
In addition, the film is being distributed by Warner Bros. The brand has been increasing its reputation for its horror offerings after several of its movies made a strong showing at the recent Academy Awards. These include Sinners, which earned an incredible four awards, while Weapons won one for Amy Madigan’s performance. In addition, Final Destination Bloodlines became the highest-growing and best-rated installment in the franchise.
Furthermore, there also seems to be a growing number of films with a similar premise. In particular, the movie’s release comes a week after Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which has a violent survival storyline where a bride fights against members of a satanic council. The new sequel starring Samara Weaving has also earned positive reviews.
They Will Kill You cast features Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. The film is directed by Kirill Sokolov, who also wrote the story with Alex Litvak. Producers include It movie director Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Dan Kagan.
They Will Kill You will release in theaters on March 27, 2026.
Release Date
March 27, 2026
Runtime
94 Minutes
Director
Kirill Sokolov
Cast
Heather Graham
Short Steve
