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A scene from Ben Wheatley's KILL LIST. © 2011 Warp X/Rook Films Ltd. An IFC MIDNIGHT release.

Kill List (2011/2012)

Opened: 02/03/2012 Limited

Trailer: Click for trailer

Websites: Home

Genre: British Thriller

Rated: Unrated

Synopsis

Eight months after a botched job in Kiev, Jay (Neil Maskell) is an out-of-work hitman with no job, money, health insurance and a wife constantly on his case. But when his business partner Gal (Michael Smiley) comes over for dinner and pressures Jay into taking a new assignment, Jay quickly finds himself back in the game with the promise of a big payoff after three assassinations. Although the hits start off without incident, soon things begin to unravel and Jay's paranoia reveals itself as he is plunged into the heart of darkness.

The second feature from British director Ben Wheatley (DOWN TERRACE) KILL LIST (which premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival) features incredibly natural rich performances, jet black humor and nail-biting suspense that work to keep the audience always off-guard. Moving from kitchen-sink drama to character study to crime thriller, KILL LIST ends up at something more fundamentally profound and wonderfully disturbing.

Accolades

2011 British Independent Film Awards Win: Michael Smiley, Best Supporting Actor

2011 British Independent Film Awards Nominations for: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Achievement In Production

Festivals:

2011 Sxsw Film Festival

2011 Toronto International Film Festival

2011 Afi Film Festival

2011 Sitges Film Festival: Winner Silver Melies For Best European Motion Picture

Interview with Ben Wheatley

How did you get started making films?

DOWN TERRACE was my first film, though I had directed a lot of television and adverts before that. DOWN TERRACE was self funded and very low budget. Making a feature film was something I'd wanted to do from a young age and I realized that if I didn't go for it then, it would never happen.

How did KILL LIST come about?

Kill List came about through conversations with Warp Films. We showed them a slate of projects that we were developing (some already scripted; some just treatments) and they really liked Kill List. Kill List was a full script at that point. It went through a few more drafts but didn't change majorly. Warp were very supportive during the making of the film as were Film Four and the UKFC.

I wanted to continue on with the techniques I'd used in DOWN TERRACE. Using improvisation alongside a tight script; showing raw emotion mixed with moments of violence and comedy. The script was written for specific actors with casting only for the smaller roles.

Why a horror film?

I've always loved horror films, but there seem to be so few that are actually scary. I wanted to make something that would make the audience afraid and unnerved. I sat down with Amy Jump (co - writer) and we thought about the things that scared us the most and then built the script around that. A lot of the sequences are built around re-occurring nightmares I've had since childhood. I thought that if these things scared me then - they would scare a larger audience.

Tell us about the cast and the casting process

I've worked with all the principle cast of KILL LIST before. Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley and Myanna Buring all appeared in a TV sketch show I directed called The Wrong Door. I'd made a mental note that I wanted to work with them again. I got the chance with Michael on DOWN TERRACE, and with Neil on an advert. Once I got to know the two of them a bit better the thought of pairing them up started forming. When we were writing the script we always had their voices in mind.

Emma Fryer and Ben Crompton were both in Ideal, another TV show I had directed and I was really keen to work with them again. There are also returning faces from DOWN TERRACE (Rob and Bob Hill, Mark Kempner and Gareth Tunley). The main bit of casting was Struan Rodger, who brought great weight and subtly to his role as the client.

What does KILL LIST mean?

I am a big fan of working hard in movies. I don't like to be able to understand and double guess a film as I watch it. I want it to surprise me and confound me. There are many strands running through KILL LIST; some easy to grasp (the hit men doing a job) some harder (who is the client? why do they target Jay) the information is there in the film, it's lurking in the corners of frames. I think it's far more scary to be half told, than definitively told.

Cast Biographies

Neil Maskell (Jay)

KILL LIST is the first starring role for Neil Maskell. Since the mid eighties Neil has appeared on screen, stage and television. His film roles include parts in THE FOOTBALL FOACTORY, BASIC INSTINCT 2, IT'S ALL GONE PETE TONG and RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER. His television work has spanned many genres and he has had parts in acclaimed dramas such as SILENT WITNESS and SHAMELESS as well as appearing in many highly regarded comedy shows including THE WRONG DOOR and THE MORGANA SHOW. As well as teaching theatre he has appeared in many productions including Not Gods But Giants, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Shoot, Jermyn Street Theatre, London and Golden Balls, Old Red Lion, London. In 2010 Neil wrote and directed the short film "SHITKICKER" for DP Films.

Michael Smiley (Gal)

Since his first major TV role as cycle courier "Tyres" in Simon Pegg & Nick Frost's SPACED -- Michael Smiley has appeared in numerous film and television roles. His film work includes John Landis? BURKE & HARE, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and Ben Wheatley's award winning DOWN TERRACE, where his role as a hit man with a baby in tow was frequently singled out as a star turn. His television credits include LUTHER, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING & FIFTEEN STOREYS HIGH. He is an acclaimed stand up comedian and continually tours throughout Britain and the rest of the world.

MyAnna Buring (Shel)

MyAnna Buring has recently completed filming THE TWILIGHT SAGAS final installments BREAKING DAWN 1 & 2, playing Tanya Denali. Other film credits include leads in a variety of genres such as the critically acclaimed hit horror THE DESCENT, indie film CITY RATS and the comedy LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS. She worked previously with Ben Wheatley as a regular on the BBC Comedy series THE WRONG DOOR. Other television credits include DR WHO, ANY HUMAN HEART (opposite Jim Broadbent) and GEORGE GENTLY. MyAnna won a Fringe Report Award for Best Actress in a Political Drama for her performance in Peter Morris' GUARDIANS. Myanna studied drama at LAMDA.

Emma Fryer (Fiona)

As a writer and performer of her own original material, (including BBC2?s HOME TIME) Emma Fryer has become one of the British comedy scene's leading lights. Her television credits include leading roles in hit comedies PHONESHOP and IDEAL. Her radio comedy includes SHEDTOWN as well as BBC Radio 4 productions Sarah Millican's Support Group, Beauty of Britain and Clement Doesn't Live Here Anymore. KILL LIST is her first major film role.

Crew Biographies

Ben Wheatley (Director and Co-Writer)

Ben Wheatley's debut film DOWN TERRACE won numerous awards, including Best Feature at Fantastic Fest, Raindance and Boston, and played major film festivals throughout the world. (Moma NYC, Rotterdam, PIFAN, Melbourne, LA). On its release in the US and UK it garnered fantastic reviews across the board. ("Stunning" Time Out New York, "Highly entertaining" The Observer UK).

Ben's internet animations, films, cartoons, comic strips and viral ads have an international audience of over 20 million people via his website Mr and Mrs Wheatley (http://mrandmrswheatley.blogspot.com)

Wheatley has won multiple awards for his commercials and viral work including Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions at Cannes Advertising Festival and has directed many television shows including BBC3's cult hit IDEAL, UK CH4's MODERN TOSS and the Bafta nominted WRONG DOOR. KILL LIST is his second feature film.

Andy Starke (Producer)

After ten years in the world of television post-production, and five years as part of psychedelic rock group "Regular Fries" (currently residing in the "where-are-they-now" section), Starke founded Boum Productions with award winning writer and film historian, Pete Tombs. For Boum, Starke has written, produced, directed & edited numerous TV, film and documentary projects.

Boum has received worldwide acclaim for its ground breaking Mondo Macabro DVD label, focusing on "the wild side of world cinema" and dedicated to preserving formally "lost" genre movies from countries not usually associated with "popular" cinema.

In 2007 Boum founded Mondo Macabro Movies to bring original productions to the screen -- the first, ZIBAHKHANA, directed by Omar Ali Khan, was the first ever modern horror movie to be independently produced in Pakistan, and went on to win multiple awards and play worldwide on the festival circuit, before being sold for distribution in all the major territories.

In 2010 Starke set up Rook Films with director Ben Wheatley to produce a slate of original feature films including Wheatley?s acclaimed debut feature DOWN TERRACE.

Claire Jones (Producer)

Claire Jones has produced a number of commercials and online hit films with director Ben Wheatley. KILL LIST is her first feature film.

Claire began her career in law after gaining a law degree and finishing law school. During her brief foray as a paralegal, she dipped her toes into the world of film-making by running on weekends for the London Film School. Quickly realizing it was far more interesting than insurance law, she jumped ship and entered the world of production.

On joining Tomboy Films she became a Production Manager for various directors, including Stephen Frears, Mark Mylod and John Madden and in 2006, at the age of 26, she set up one of the first digital companies, Tomboy Virals, signing and producing for top online creative talent.

In 2008, Claire started producing for Blink Productions. Filming across the globe, she's produced numerous commercials, music videos and digital shorts including an Emmy nominated short for Outstanding Online Comedy.