The Kill Room (Paone, 2023)
Disclaimer: I am not well-versed in the art industry or world so I am going off of my own opinions and beliefs regarding my comments on artistic matters. Additionally, this review will contain spoilers towards the end concerning the movie’s end and some issues I have with practicalities.
The Kill Room starring Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, and Samuel L. Jackson is an entertaining movie despite the simplicity of the film as well as some of its impracticalities. Patrice (Uma Thurman), is the owner of an art gallery where she is an art dealer, as she calls herself. Unfortunately, she is struggling to make sales which leads her to become desperate to find means of making money. Her attempt to cheat her drug dealer connects her to Gordon (Samuel L. Jackson), who wants to make a deal of selling her art from a private “artist.” This solves her money problem but she doesn’t realize that the artist making these works selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, is actually a murderer. However, after figuring this out for herself, Reggie (Joe Manganiello), the murderous artist dubbed The Bagman, informs Patrice of his reasoning and the cause behind his actions. Patrice learns that Reggie doesn’t want to be killing people but is paying off a debt for his sister instead. Together, Patrice, with her knowledge and hold in the art world, and Reggie, with his intelligence in dealing with the underworld of crime, work together to solve their individual issues.
I found The Kill Room to be an entertaining but simple movie due to how straightforward the plot progresses and because it is an easy movie to digest and understand. With that being said, I think it has a good balance of comedy, mostly from Gordon, and seriousness between the characters that helps it flow nicely. I enjoy that it makes a mockery out of the art world and those who needlessly throw their money at expensive art for the sake of doing so, even if it’s ugly art. I say this as a person who isn’t a fan of most modern art or many of the practices and techniques used in modern art. But I appreciate that while satirizing the clientele of some of these art pieces, The Kill Room also demonstrates and addresses that being an artist in today’s society is difficult, which viewers especially see with Grace, one of the artists who has art in Patrice’s gallery. This is a niche movie type where it both makes fun of but also supports the art world, both for artists and the clientele. The satirization of the clientele can clearly be seen closer to the end of the movie during The Bagman’s final art piece as they are captivated by what is being displayed on the screen rather than showing concern.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
My main issues with this film come from the impracticalities surrounding the disposal of Roman’s body after Reggie manages to suffocate him. Roman’s body is wrapped tightly in plastic and arranged inside an art crate where it is then stored inside the warehouse that Patrice regularly uses for “storage.” For me, a true crime lover, I find this unrealistic as the body would slowly start to decay, rot, and stink, especially depending on whether the warehouse has AC or not. After the body starts to decompose, it will inevitably start to produce an odor, as well as juices, that can’t be hidden or covered up, which will most likely be investigated and will point to Patrice and her gallery. Also, The Bagman’s last art performance could have been easily recorded and put online for the public and even authorities to see. However, part of why I enjoyed this movie, as I have stated, is due to its simple nature as it is easy to understand as a viewer despite the clear complexities of the situations the characters find themselves in.
Although I don’t consider this to be the best movie of its time, I still think it has many features that are enjoyable for viewers. Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson, per usual, pull off their roles perfectly. Uma Thurman makes a fantastic drugged-out art dealer who is desperate for money but cunning enough to climb the social ladder of the art world. Samuel L. Jackson makes the perfect middleman between Reggie, the others, and Patrice. His dialogue is fitting for his character as well as himself in general. I don’t believe this movie would’ve had the same impact if the actors for Patrice and Gordon were different because the level of acting displayed by both Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson is an important aspect of this film for me.
The Kill Room is witty with its display of how money has a hold on the world, especially within the art world. I appreciated the twist of the seemingly ruthless killer being a good brother looking out for his sister to be nice, especially in today’s scary society of greed, bloodlust, and selfishness. It’s ironic that I find Reggie’s acts to protect his sister and pay off her debt to be more genuine and caring than those interactions seen among the art critics and others throughout the film, which is why I’d classify this film as a movie about bad things that make you feel good in a weird way.
I believe many individuals would find The Kill Room to be entertaining due to the actors, their performance, and the easy length. It’s vulgar but that’s expected with every movie Samuel L. Jackson is a part of, and honestly, in my opinion, nobody can fill a role quite like him.
