They Will Kill You Review: The Sickest Horror Twist of 2026

Looks like the estranged sister and occult troupe is taking the center of horror plots this year. We last reviewed Ready or Not 2, and now They Will Kill You seems to follow a strikingly similar storyline. However, it almost feels like a clever copy with a massive dash of creativity thrown in. Kirill Sokolov directed this action comedy horror film, and he co-wrote the exciting script alongside Alex Litvak. The movie was released theatrically on March 27, and it has garnered a lot of attention since its debut. Specifically, fans are praising its phenomenal main character.

They Will Kill You tells the story of an ex-con named Asia Reaves. She takes up a seemingly harmless role as an in-house maid at The Virgil, which houses a wealthy family with special needs. Consequently, she quickly finds out that their needs are not special at all, but rather demonic. The film stars Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette. They all work together perfectly to bring this incredible plot to life.

Premise

The plot kicks off with Asia Reaves and her sister, Maria, heading to the supermarket to get essential supplies. They are desperately attempting to flee from their abusive father. Suddenly, he violently barges into the store and aggressively asks the cashier if he has seen his daughters. He begins frantically searching the aisles. Out of fright, Asia and Maria sprint out into the pouring rain, and their enraged father chases right after them. When Asia notices he has them completely cornered, she brings out a gun and shoots him. The police arrive almost immediately. Consequently, Asia instinctively runs away, leaving her younger sister behind. She does not run very far before officers capture her and send her to prison for ten years.

Ten years later, Asia arrives at The Virgil, an exclusive high-rise building in New York City, posing as the new maid. Lily Woodhouse, the Irish building manager, warmly greets her. Lily explains that the Virgil is a century old and occupied strictly by the wealthy and elite. She introduces Asia to a family who seems surprisingly nice and welcoming. Afterward, Lily proceeds to take Asia to her room through the grand lobby. There, Asia sees a lot of other maids, and her suspicions finally kick in. She arrives at her room and securely locks the door, using a heavy chair to jam the handle to prevent anyone from entering.

While she is sleeping, several masked intruders, including residents Kevin and Sharon, suddenly break in and attack her. However, they are shocked to discover Asia is heavily armed and highly skilled at defending herself. She actually manages to kill all of the assailants, but she is soon met with an even greater shock. Asia aggressively confronts Lily and demands the location of Maria, who apparently works as a maid there in The Virgil. She threatens to kill everyone unless she leaves with her sister. Surprisingly, Lily remains completely unmoved by her threats. Her only concern is how skilled Asia appears, especially since her job application made her sound very simple. Lily then explains that they only hired Asia to use her for a ritual sacrifice to their master, who grants them immortality.

Suddenly, Asia’s attackers mysteriously resurrect from the dead. This terrifying event forces her to seek refuge inside the building’s vents, where the true hunt begins. Kevin and Sharon relentlessly give chase through the building. Nevertheless, Asia manages to dispatch Sharon with a brutal shotgun blast straight to the head. Soon after, Lily’s husband, Ray, unexpectedly saves Asia from danger. He explains that The Virgil operates as a literal temple to Satan, and the residents achieved immortality by performing countless human sacrifices. The two secretly travel up another floor together.

Meanwhile, they remain completely unaware that Sharon’s sentient eyeball is secretly following them. The duo eventually meets with Maria, who reveals she is fully aware of what is happening at The Virgil. Shockingly, she absolutely does not want to leave. Asia forcefully knocks her unconscious to save her. Now, she must do everything within her extensive criminal knowledge to escape The Virgil alive with her sister.

Cast and Performance

Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves

Zazie delivered an absolutely stellar performance here. She brought the exact kind of fierce energy Angelina Jolie gave when playing Lara Croft. Her acting felt incredibly authentic, and it truly felt like she was born to play this specific role. Zazie played Asia Reaves, the strong-willed sister who broke a sacred promise to her little sibling ten years ago. She has worked her way through a tough prison sentence to finally redeem herself. This redemption cost her a lot physically, and she narrowly escaped without her leg getting severely hurt in the process. The director vested the entire action sequence of this movie on her shoulders, and she carried it effortlessly.

Paterson Joseph as Ray Woodhouse

Paterson played Ray, a fascinating character who depicts what the dark consequences of immortality actually look like. While everyone else was out flexing their magical respawn abilities, Paterson showed us what it truly means to stay alive for so long, even when your soul died years ago. The character Ray was easily the most realistic one yet. He made sure to make ample use of his limited screen time to pass his profound message.

Patricia Arquette as Lily Woodhouse

Patricia played the role of the Virgil keeper, Lily. She stands as a true representation of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Her character had so much deep greed embedded inside her soul. Her dark ambitions utterly blinded her basic sense of humanity, even towards her own husband, Ray. She was incredibly fierce and stood as the only character who could go toe to toe with the daring Asia Reaves.

What I Liked

Unlike the annoying sisters in Ready or Not 2, the dialogue here in They Will Kill You felt completely necessary. The writers flawlessly crafted the engaging script from start to finish. I really loved how the plot took its time to unravel while keeping everyone in the audience in total suspense. Furthermore, I loved how every single scene felt like a massive revelation. It provided such a lovely cinematic experience. Usually, I am very good at predicting movie scenes. However, this particular film came as a total surprise, which clearly shows the high level of creativity involved.

I also liked the fact that the casting remained quite simple. Despite having a lot of random bystanders on set, the main characters are still easily memorable. This shows exactly how relevant each cast member was to the overall plot. Speaking of the plot, the story happens ten years after Asia shot her dad. I noticed Asia’s facial features mature wonderfully when the director revealed her after the time jump. This is such a small visual detail that makes a huge significance, especially considering they shot the movie in just one year.

What I Didn’t Like

This movie definitely had the massive potential to be one of the top horror movies in 2026. Currently, it is ranking at sixteen million dollars in box office sales. This is a good number, but I am sure it would have been much better if A24 Productions had its fingerprint all over it. The plot felt a bit rushed and slightly underdeveloped towards the climax. Despite the flawless casting choices, the actors felt somewhat underutilized overall. As I mentioned earlier, Zazie carried the entire action load all by herself. The directors could have properly distributed the intense action amongst other capable characters.

Verdict

They Will Kill You serves exactly what its name implies, telling you everything you need to know before you even buy a ticket. I highly recommend you see this movie with your friends or anyone who truly loves a good horror story. The ratings board restricted it to 18+ for its strong intimate scenes, partial nudity, and intense violence. Therefore, if all of these dark elements sound like your cup of coffee, then please be my guest. Just let me know how it turns out when you finally see it.

My Rating

They Will Kill You earns a merciful 3.5 out of 5.

Our Rating of This Movie

How do you feel about the satanic themed horror stories this year?

Author

Amarachi Ndukwe
Amarachi Ndukwe is a talented movie reviewer who knows how to make films easy to understand and fun to discuss. She shares her thoughts in a clear and engaging way, helping her readers see what makes each movie special. With a great eye for detail, she explains stories, themes, and characters in a way that anyone can enjoy.