The Killing – Tuesday 30th September 2025

Watched it for the first time, and damn, what a great movie!
How can a film from 1956 seem more fresh than the movies being made today?

Kubrick’s genius aside, it’s because the current crop of filmmakers are mostly well-connected nepo-babies or rich kids, and the studio executives are, well… Just watch Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’ for a valid explanation! Anyway, I digress!

The structure of the film is what really sets the film apart; not only that, the characters are compelling. As an audience, you want to see how their story is resolved; do they ride off into the sunset, or does a weak link in the chain ruin it for everyone?

Strong characters, a strong story with a great structure; the film really is a masterclass, especially for new filmmakers.

It also features a femme fatale that is the perfect example of a woman’s ability to manipulate the men around her! I love to see that, because for me, that’s how you show a ‘strong female character’; someone that can overcome a man, without lifting a finger! (it’s also far more realistic than seeing a woman beat the crap out of blokes three times her size, as seen in ‘modern’ movies)

I really enjoyed the fact that the director wasn’t afraid of long takes (I know, it’s Kubrick), with very little in the way of cutting to different camera angles. It shows not only a confidence in the placing of the camera, but also a confidence in actors, and the audience, because the actor is given the opportunity to act, and the audience is trusted to not get bored.

To top it all off, the film had a great ending!
The icing on the cake was the brisk runtime!

Definitely check it out!