Assassins come in many shapes and forms, but on film they tend, more often than not, to be single white males. Whether it’s the milk-drinking Jean Reno is Luc Besson’s Léon, the irrepressible Keanu Reeves as John Wick or Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal. However, Hungarian director Attila Till has other ideas. In his new film Kills on Wheels he takes a well-trodden drama and puts a new spin on it. Literally.
Zoli (Zoltán Fenyvesi) and Barba (Ádám Fekete) are best friends who live in a rehabilitation centre due to their physical disabilities. Zoli needs a life-saving operation on his back but refuses the financial help of his absent father. They aimlessly trundle through life until the arrival of a mysterious ex-con Rupasov (Szabolcs Thuróczy). He takes the pair under his wing and decides to mentor them in his line of work: Killing.
Kills on Wheels is great fun. Till takes on the subject headfirst and takes no prisoners. All too often, these kinds of films are overly earnest and preachy. There’s none of that here. It’s a mix of sardonic black comedy, action thriller and personal drama. Till riffs on normal action protagonist stereotypes and spins a unique and highly entertaining yarn. Kills on Wheels is a clever comedy drama which seamlessly flows between genres
Kills on Wheels is out in cinemas on Friday.
