LOS ANGELES, CA — Roaring thunder thrums against ominous synths as neon‑lit Manhattan refuses to dim. At its center rises The Virgil — a tower of pride and exclusivity, gleaming like a promise meant only for the elite, yet, in truth, a façade luring the desperate straight into its trap.

Inside, the establishment exudes a palpable air of mystery, its Art Deco lines drenched in deep greens and burnished golds. The lighting fixtures and geometric patterns are arranged with such meticulous precision they seem almost alive, the walls observing every movement. Head housemaid Lily (Patricia Arquette), all clipped tones and unblinking scrutiny, heightens the unease as she guides new maid Asia Reeves (Zazie Beetz) through the building’s immaculate corridors — and past doors barricaded for reasons no one will explain.

What becomes clear, however, is that The Virgil isn’t merely imposing from the outside; its interior is a maze of seductive surfaces and veiled menace, a space designed to disorient and ensnare.

Asia’s first night inside the opulent sanctuary sparks Kirill Sokolov’s “They Will Kill You,” transforming The Virgil’s eerie stillness into a frantic, nine‑floor plunge into hell. What follows is her desperate fight to stay alive while searching for her sister, Maria (Myha’La), last seen slipping into this very tower — a gilded stronghold for a cabal of ultra‑wealthy Satanists who have marked Asia as their next offering.

Beneath the blood‑slick spectacle, the film gestures toward themes of class exploitation and ritualized violence — the ultra‑rich feeding on the vulnerable — though these ideas flicker more as provocative texture than fully realized commentary.

Zazie Beetz in “They Will Kill You.” (Warner Bros.)

Sokolov’s English‑language feature debut carries the same verve that powered his 2018 breakout “Why Don’t You Just Die!,” blending extreme violence with pitch‑black humor — manic, blood‑slicked energy paired with breakneck pacing and hairpin precision.

He directs with the swagger of a Quentin Tarantino disciple — a filmmaker raised on operatic violence, Raimi‑esque slapstick, and anime‑infused maximalism, remixing their influences into a style that’s less homage than hyperactive declaration: messy-yet-thrilling, excessive-yet-bold.

The Russian director channels that lineage into a relish for violence, punctuated by punch‑line brutality and sudden tonal pivots that land with shocking catharsis. Think “Kill Bill” and “Inglourious Basterds” in their chaotic choreography, where bodies move, collide and detonate across the frame like the wild swings of a double pendulum.

Sokolov’s swagger fuels the film’s wild tonal whiplash — a collision of horror, comedy and action that’s often thrilling but just as often unruly. His horror instincts are the sharpest; the comedy arrives in jagged bursts that can undercut the tension. And the action? Bravado to spare — but it sometimes overwhelms the emotional stakes. It’s a blend of bravura and excess that reflects his maximalist style, for better and for worse.

Heather Graham in “They Will Kill You.” (Warner Bros.)

At the core is Beetz’s performance, the film’s absolute anchor. Her Asia is a fusion of panic and resolve, radiating a gravitas that cuts through the film’s escalating barrage of fight sequences. It’s a testament to Beetz’s rigorous training — her physicality underscored by the sheer commitment of performing every stunt herself.

Around Beetz, the ensemble holds its own, delivering sharp, character‑driven eccentricities. Arquette imbues Lily with a steeliness and unpredictability that mirrors the heroine’s relentless intensity. Heather Graham, meanwhile, is a scene‑stealing powerhouse — giving her socialite Sharon a delightfully unhinged, sadistic edge in equal measure.

As these performances thread a pulse through The Virgil’s walls of terror, composer Carlos Rafael Rivera’s score amplifies the film’s tension and claustrophobia, blending electric‑guitar textures with broad orchestral surges while anchoring it all in a steady emotional pull.

In all, “They Will Kill You” is far from perfect. The film stumbles in the final act — the pacing wobbles, its excesses overstay their welcome, and the gags begin to lose their bite as they spiral through the same loop. Still, there’s an undeniable appeal to its blood‑soaked madness, sharpened by the rare fusion of Beetz’s unrelenting physicality and Sokolov’s gleeful, signature mayhem — a hyper‑intense synergy that gives cult cinema its bite. In the end, the film doesn’t balance its impulses so much as dare you to keep up — a beautiful mess, seductive and treacherous like The Virgil itself.

Patricia Arquette in “They Will Kill You.” (Warner Bros.)