Kill Your Friends is not outrageous
enough in its violence or dark enough in its tone to give the satire of the
novel it is based on enough edge, despite the screenplay being written by
author John Niven. Worse yet, comparisons are bound to be made with American Psycho, which still feels more
groundbreaking despite being made 16 years earlier than this film. Had director
Owen Harris taken this narrative in another direction, it may have avoided the
comparisons that the material obviously had no chance to live up to, but
instead much of the violence ends up feeling more perfunctory than shocking. There
is potential amongst the differences for some uniquely scathing commentary, but
Kill Your Friends instead unwisely
focuses on the most derivative elements of the narrative.
Set against the
backdrop of London Fury Road
After this first
murder occurs, the film slows down as Steven’s behavior becomes abhorrent for
the hateful things he says rather than anything he does. Despite showing no
remorse for his actions, Steven begins to sabotage himself with a senseless
stream of misogynistic and homophobic comments amidst chronic drug abuse. This
behavior is enough to cost him the opportunity to land an important client,
simultaneously losing him a highly coveted job promotion. While the commentary
on the music industry in the 1990s has potential, Niven’s screenplay is far
more content to focus on Steven’s spiral into desperation. Neither the
characters nor the acting are strong enough to support the shortcomings of the story.
Hoult built his
acting career on the random success of child acting when he played the title
child of the Nick Hornby adaptation, About
a Boy. Since then he has coasted on looks and this mild celebrity, though
never with the ability to convince me he was doing anything but acting. While
his performance here is far less forced than other roles he has received as an
adult, it is still too uneven to carry a character piece. Not all can be blamed
on the young actor, however, as the biggest issue remains the inconsistency of
the written character and Harris’s lack of strength as a director. The entire
endeavor feels directionless and random, peppered with subplots that seem
constructed to fill the run time rather than add any depth or nuance to the
narrative. Despite Niven’s real-world experience with the music industry, he
doesn’t have much to say about it within the satirical elements of the film,
nor does his screenplay capture any humor in the dark comedy. This merely
leaves audiences with the repugnance of a despicable protagonist.
The Blu-ray
release offers little in terms of visual enhancements from the high definition.
Even with the glamour of the industry, the film ends up looking cheap and
seedy, though the soundtrack makes use of the DTS-HD Master Audio. Often times
the soundtrack of 90’s tunes is the only thing keeping this film afloat,
leaving me more interested in the next song played than any resolution with the
characters. Extras include interviews with Niven, Harris and key cast members.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 3/10
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