It’s different kind of assassin film that does have a touch of newness and entertains for those that like a lot of misdirection and side stories in a film. Mostly for mystery seekers, Killers Anonymous takes off running and doesn’t stop till the final curtain. Even though it may be a bit predictable to some, it still works as a “what if” movie.
As the story begins Senator John Kyle (Sam Hazeldine) has been shot by an assassin and the headlines have the nation in shock. Presumed dead, the Senator was next in line to run for the Presidency of the USA. Hours later several men and women enter an undisclosed room in a building and take chairs for a strange meeting. It’s their regular psychological assessment for Killers Anonymous and some are arriving late.
Jo (MyAnna Buring) is the leader of the group and she gets right to it asking if someone wants to start telling the group what’s on their mind. The assassins attending are Ben (Elliot James Langridge), Krystal (Elizabeth Morris), Markus (Tommy Flanagan), Leandro (Michael Socha), Calvin (Tim McInnerny), and a mystery guest (Rhyon Nicole Brown). When they start getting into their recent killings, the question comes up if anyone was involved with the shooting of Senator Kyle. The request opens a discussion leading to an impasse that gets out of control.
The film is well written and a very innovative idea to get seven killers in a room at the same time and be able to come up with a plot that isn’t just killing each other. But, Director and one of three writers were out to entertain and for action junkies they do just that. The actors chosen for each of the assassins are spot on with the characters given a unique personality. Delivering enough surprises to make the film more unpredictable, the filmmakers are able to pull it off.
Gary Oldman looks a little rough around the edges adding a taste of his character being on the cusp of retirement. His “The Man” is seen on the sideline directing someone via phone to do his bidding. I like the way the filmmakers use side-by-side shots as he works with one of his troubled assassins called Jade played by Jessica Alba while puppet mastering participants in the Killers Anonymous group meeting.
Killers Anonymous has been rated R by the MPAA for bloody violence, and pervasive language including some sexual references. Beware that some of the killing looks very real and may be a bit overstated for some viewers.
FINAL ANALYSIS: The film fits the Mystery/Action target audience well. (3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Gary Oldman, Jessica Alba, Sadie Frost, MyAnna Buring, Suki Waterhouse, Tommy Flanagan, Elliot James Langridge, Elizabeth Morris, Michael Socha, Tim McInnerny, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Sam Hazeldine
Directed by: Martin Owen
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery
MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence, and pervasive language including some sexual references
Running Time: 1 hr. 36 min.
Opening Date: June 28, 2019
Distributed by: Grindstone Entertainment Group
Released in: Standard, Color
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
