The Kill Room Review – Entertaining Dramady, Nuanced Over-the-Top Performances

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Wednesday, 01 November 2023 10:58

Written by Janet Walker

The Kill Room, from Shout Studios and Yale Productions, presents a high-stakes crime dramady as a nearly insolvent art dealer partners with the Russian mob to launder money by selling paintings created by a hit man.

The film begins in Hudson County, New Jersey, as Reggie, played by Joe Manganiello, is walking down the street listening to the voice over detailing a murder. He walks into the deli, places his coffee cup on the counter and tells the owner he wants his money back. This initiates an argument which quickly escalates until we realize the true reason for the ruse. Within minutes Reggie is suffocating the store owner for refusing to pay his debt to the local mob.

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When he returns to the bakery, which is a legitimate business front, the owner, Gordon, played by Samuel L. Jackson, we understand he is also working off a debt to the mob and wants out. Gordon explains they have a money laundering problem.

On the other side of the Hudson, we meet Patrice, played by Uma Thurman, a gallery owner in the middle of a show. Her intern, Leslie, played by Amy Keum, is trying to gauge the interest of a potential buyer. Patrice is stressed and in the back room feeding an Adderall habit, and the only artist she is representing, Grace, played by Maya Hawke, has found out that Patrice is having difficulty generating interest in her work.

Of all things we understand Patrice to be at this point we understand she is tactful and able to assuage the fears of her only client who continues to stay with her. Of course, she meets the snarky new gallery owner, Anika, played by Dree Hemingway, who is the flavor of the moment in the art world and looking to steal all her clients.

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Patrice's drug dealer Nate, played by Matthew Maher, also pays her a visit and as she attempts to skirt the issue she offers him a painting instead, which he takes. Back in Jersey at his shop, Reggie and Gordon pay him a visit as they are in serious need of a money laundering operation. When Gordon sees the painting and Nate explains Patrice is cash poor, he decides to pay her a visit.

This sets up the second act. After some hesitation Patrice decides to go along with the plan, one condition, there must be a piece of art to go along with the transfer of cash to avoid the appearance of any unexplainable money.

Soon she is rolling in the dough, and the fake artists, The Bag Man, has become the hottest new artist since well forever. And of course, with that means the most revered art critic in Manhattan, The Kimono, played by Debi Mazar, arrives to answer the questions every art connoisseur wants to know, just who is this illusive artist, The Bag Man. As with all artistic expression, the interpretation of his work is left to the collector, and soon, his work, his modern impressionists work is the talk of the town.

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The attention is creating trouble for the Russian Mob that owns him and they summon both Reggie and Patrice for a sit down. After the meeting Reggie explains to Gordon he wants out and agrees to take out an untouchable.

What follows is a finale that pokes fun at some of the absurdity and show surrounding the revelation and debut of the newest and most exclusive abstract impressionist work with all its characterization.

The Kill Room brings together an ensemble cast that deliver the layers and colors of this nuanced lifestyles while allowing the over-the-top caricatures of each, the mob and all its depth, and the high-stakes art world to be present. Strong performances drive the storyline.

The Kill Room is available On Demand and all streaming platform November 3, 2023. See it.

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Country: U.S.

Language: English.

Runtime: 98 minutes.

Director: Nicol Paone.

Writer: Jonathan Jacobson.

Producer: Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman, Anne Clements, William Rosenfeld, Bill Kenwright, Nicol Paone, Dannielle Thomas, Jason Weinberg, Uma Thurman.

Cast: Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Debi Mazar, Maya Hawke, Dree Hemingway, Amy Keum, Candy Buckley, Larry Pine, Jennifer Kim, Matthew Maher, Tom Pecinka, Alexander Sokovikov, Marianne Rendon, Denise Grayson, Leah McSweeney.