{"id":4810,"date":"2014-09-01T00:26:43","date_gmt":"2014-08-31T23:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/?p=4810"},"modified":"2014-09-01T01:27:41","modified_gmt":"2014-09-01T00:27:41","slug":"killers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/2014\/09\/01\/killers\/","title":{"rendered":"Killers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Killers\"<\/a>
Killers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\nFormat:<\/B> DVD + Blu-ray

\nRelease date:<\/B> 1 September 2014

\nDistributor:<\/B> Lionsgate

\nDirectors:<\/B> Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto

\nWriters:<\/B> Takuji Ushiyama, Timo Tjahjanto

\nCast:<\/B> Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Ray Sahetapy, Luna Maya

\nIndonesia, Japan 2014

\n132 mins\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A co-production between Indonesia and Japan, Killers<\/i>, the sophomore feature from directing duo Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto \u2013 better known as the \u2018Mo Brothers\u2019 (although they\u2019re not related) \u2013 seems like a conscious step up in artistic integrity after their ultra-bloody but otherwise unambitious debut horror, Macabre<\/i> (2009). Working under the increasingly influential auspices of Gareth Evans \u2013 the Welsh-born director behind successful Indonesian martial arts flick The Raid<\/i><\/a> (2011) and its sequel The Raid 2: Berandal<\/i><\/a> (2014), who serves here as executive producer \u2013 Killers<\/i> is a grisly, multilingual serial killer-themed tale featuring two intertwining narratives set in different countries.<\/p>\n

In Tokyo, Nomura (Kazuki Kitamura), a slick, emotionally aloof businessman haunted by traumatic childhood memories of his dead sister, lures women back to his secluded home where he videos their torture and murder before posting his efforts on the internet for all to see. In Jakarta, Bayu (Oka Antara), a disgraced journalist and viewer of Nomura\u2019s videos, finds himself in a situation where he has to kill two men intent on robing, raping and possibly murdering him. Traumatised, he is compelled to document the aftermath and uploads the footage to the same website. Nomura sees the video and reaches out to Bayu, encouraging him to continue scratching this newfound itch for murder that Bayu insists he doesn\u2019t have (or does he?). Meanwhile, Nomura undergoes his own crisis when he inadvertently befriends a potential victim, a meek flower shop owner (Rin Takanashi) saddled with her young mentally ill brother.<\/p>\n

The film cleanly criss-crosses back and forth between the two protagonists as their respective storylines shift, develop and, occasionally, collide. It soon becomes apparent that Killers<\/i> doesn\u2019t intend to be a straightforward genre shocker, although the film\u2019s pulse-pounding opening salvo, which sees a woman run for her life through the woods with a masked Nomura in pursuit, may lead you to think otherwise. This scene\u2019s whomping stop-start sound design immediately announces that we are in jugular-grabbing horror territory. But what starts as horror melds into psychological thriller, which in turn segues into a revenge narrative, as Bayu sets his sights on taking down a corrupt public figure (Ray Sahetapy) who has caused him much personal strife. Bayu\u2019s inner conflict both mirrors and is at odds with Nomura\u2019s, whose interactions with Hisae the flower shop owner suggests that he might be losing his killer instinct. The Mo Brothers, along with screenwriter Takuji Ushiyama, are confident in heaping on dramatic complications that mould and re-mould the plot, giving the film some unexpected dimensionality and a welcome sense of not quite knowing how things are going to play out.<\/p>\n

Visually, each strands adopts its own subtly differing traits: Nomura\u2019s side of the story possesses a chilly baroque shimmer, whereas Bayu\u2019s leans towards loose docudrama (the respective cityscapes that envelop them \u2013 the sterile glass and concrete facades of Tokyo and the more rundown and weathered Jakarta \u2013 emphasise this dichotomy). But what\u2019s interesting is when the stylistic ephemera of one seem to seep into the other. Bayu\u2019s butchering fantasy reveals glimpses of the violently artistic flourishes of Nomura\u2019s killings, while Nomura\u2019s lapses of control load stress on the pristine veneer that characterises his world. These are among many subtle decisions that lay the groundwork for the inevitable coming together of the two characters. Incidentally, the film\u2019s weaker moments arguably lie when Nomura and Bayu are united \u2013 talking directly to one another over the internet using stilted English \u2013 and the film\u2019s gripping denouement risks being undermined by some less-than-stellar slow motion and green screen effects. <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Killers<\/i> is a suitably impressive work, refusing to simply tick the boxes of its genre in favour of aiming for something higher. The film hits hard when it needs to; its punchy sound design, use of music and explosive moments of violence give certain sequences the kind of intensity that many films of this ilk strive for but often can\u2019t quite deliver. A genuine investment in the characters goes a long way in this regard, which the film takes the time and trouble to nurture. The result is a tense yet strangely intricate dramatic thriller that not only delivers on viscera but also ruminates on grander themes concerning the desire to kill, the need to document it, and our curiosity in, and perhaps even obsession with, the morbid. Part of Nomura\u2019s motivation to kill stems from the views his videos receive, and the burgeoning popularity of Bayu\u2019s videos creates further cause for insecurity. Although some of these ideas aren\u2019t as fulsomely explored as some may like, the film never spoils the fun by lecturing self-referentially about the viewer\u2019s foregone compliance over consuming violent media. With its commendable handling of style and substance, Killers<\/i> confirms that the Mo Brothers are a filmmaking pair to watch.<\/p>\n

Mark Player<\/B><\/I><\/p>\n

Watch the trailer:<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Produced by Gareth Evans, the Mo Brothers\u2019 second feature is a stylish and grisly intertwined tale of two killers.
\nReview by Mark Player<\/B><\/I><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,3],"tags":[557,854,404,42,1002,599],"class_list":["post-4810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-check-it-out","category-dvds-and-blu-rays","tag-asian-film","tag-gareth-evans","tag-indonesian-cinema","tag-japanese-cinema","tag-mo-brothers","tag-serial-killer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","wps_subtitle":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/surUP-killers","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2769,"url":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/2013\/04\/18\/the-abcs-of-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":4810,"position":0},"title":"The ABCs of Death","author":"Pam Jahn","date":"April 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"An anthology film made by 26 directors, with lo-fi naturalism next to cartoon expressionism, art house butting up against gross Animation. 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