In They Will Kill You, the elevator doors of the Virgil, a luxury apartment complex, open to sprawling hallways full of bloody mayhem, hellish debauchery, and unstoppable cultists at every turn. But for stars Zazie Beetz and Patricia Arquette, the most terrifying thing about their new high-octane horror flick might just be the lack of an exit strategy. In a genre-bending feature that blends balls-to-the-wall action with “splatstick” humor, the two powerhouse actresses find themselves on opposite sides of a cult uprising — one fighting for the life and soul of her sister and the other fighting for her immortality.
When the project first crossed their desks, it was not just the prospect of an action-packed horror film that drew them in, it was the eccentric style and vision of director Kirill Sokolov. For Arquette, who plays the cult’s formidable leader, Lily, the script offered a delicate balance that few filmmakers can pull off.
“The script had a very interesting voice,” Arquette explains. “It had comedy, horror, the demonic stuff, this heroine … but it also could have gone wrong. This movie is very much in Kirill Sokolov’s wheelhouse. He showed so much ingenuity with his camera work, with his humor, and with practical effects and I thought, ‘Wow, he is perfect for this.’”
Beetz, who stars as Asia — a woman who unwittingly enters the snakepit — was equally captivated by the “weirdness” of the premise.
“I was excited for an original story that was brand new. It felt really fresh to me,” Beetz says. “Meeting Kirill, I don’t know anyone like him. He’s a completely unique, highly creative individual … I could just feel his brain popping out at me. I was just excited to be a part of something that I feel like had no real genre, it was totally its own thing. It’s weird. Even in the horror space, I feel like it’s a weird one. And I like weird.”
They Will Kill You centers on the Virgil complex, which is ostensibly in Manhattan — think of it as an infernal Fort Knox that houses an ancient, sinister secret that is guarded by its equally sinister residents. Under the guise of the building’s latest custodial new hire, Asia infiltrates the Virgil with an ulterior motive: to search for her estranged sister Maria, played by Myha’la, who is said to be part of the housekeeping staff. The film wastes no time going full throttle, with Asia almost immediately throwing down with masked assailants during the film’s first insanely bonkers brawl scene — the first of many bloody and brutal battles to come.
As Asia ascends the towering building — which is cleverly modeled after the nine circles of hell from Dante’s Inferno — the action becomes increasingly visceral. For Beetz, this meant a physical transformation that went far beyond the traditional stunt training she took on during her turn as the deadly mercenary Domino in Deadpool 2. To ground the character in a sense of raw survival, she spent nearly the entire production barefoot — a creative choice suggested by Sokolov during their first meeting.
“The feet were definitely bare,” Beetz laughs. “That was a choice because Kirill had asked me at the top of shooting, he was like, ‘There’s one scene where I just want to see your foot on this guy’s chest.’ And he was like, ‘That means you would have to be barefoot for the whole movie.’”
While the production eventually offered her a pedicure for her sore feet, Beetz embraced the discomfort as a tool for the role. “I also feel in some ways it’s like a little bit of the vulnerability of the character, too — the primal element of the character,” she notes. “And so I liked that idea and thought it was cool.”
That “primal” energy was tested further during the film’s climactic combat sequences. Beetz describes the vigorous fight choreography as “intense and very, very technical,” particularly a sequence involving real fire that required her to be covered in flame retardant and wear a velcro-fastened wig that could be ripped off at a moment’s notice.
“I rehearsed that choreography the most because of the safety element,” she says. “You had to be careful with the ax, of that heat — but you know, it adds to it! It reminds you that you’re alive.”
One of the most significant aspects of They Will Kill You is the way it reshapes the “final girl” archetype. For decades, the horror genre’s most iconic female survivors have been almost exclusively white. Arquette, who knows about being a final girl, points out that while characters like Ellen Ripley or Sarah Connor were revolutionary, they did not represent everyone.
“All of those — also Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street — they’re all white girls,” Arquette says. “We didn’t get to grow up having these big, mainstream horror movies that have women of color as the lead.”
Beetz felt the weight and the excitement of that shift. “When Kirill called me to talk about this role, I loved the idea of a Black woman being the lead of something like this,” she says. “I don’t think we have a lot of that.” To prepare for the role, Beetz looked beyond traditional Western horror, drawing inspiration from the 1970s kung-fu genre and Japanese cinema.
“For me specifically, Lady Snowblood was a really big inspiration for it,” Beetz reveals. “I had her picture up in my trailer and in the makeup trailer because the energy of that character just reminded me so much of Asia and sort of that singular drive she has in order to find her sister. Before scenes, I would really, really channel that energy. There’s a final scene in Lady Snowblood where she’s on the ground, gripping the snow and has this primal scream. And I would sometimes do that for myself. I feel like it opened up the passageway to let that element flow into me.”
For Arquette, They Will Kill You marks a long-awaited homecoming to the horror genre. Despite an early career-defining role as Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, it has been nearly 27 years since she headlined a strictly horror film, 1999’s Stigmata.
“I’ve always loved this genre,” Arquette says of her return. “I’ve dabbled nearby, even Medium had this sort of supernatural element; Severance has some weird things going on that are a little sci-fi-ish. But being able to get all the way back into horror: blood, gore, screaming, the whole nine yards — it’s really fun. There’s something very human about this battle.”
Arquette’s character, Lily, is more than just a satanic villain. The film peels back the layers of her history, revealing a woman who sought refuge in a cult after a life of marginalization and forbidden love.
“In her past history, she was on her own as an Irish immigrant back in a time where they were very marginalized,” Arquette explains. “She ended up falling in love with Patterson Joseph’s character, and mixed-race relationships weren’t allowed at that time, and that was really dangerous. So they found this community. It was like, ‘Wow, I get to live in this beautiful place. I get to be with my man. We get to love each other, and no one questions it.’”
The central conflict of the film involves a cult’s pursuit of immortality through human sacrifices and demonic devotion. But while the characters in They Will Kill You are willing to kill for eternal life, the actresses themselves have a different perspective on living forever.
“I don’t even want to live to be 140 if and when science and medicine ever allows that,” Arquette admits. “I do believe in another adventure. And I do believe this is part of the process.”
Beetz agrees, arguing that the horror of the film stems from the characters’ loss of humanity through their lack of an ending or consequences.
“I do think that the ability to die is what makes all these moments precious, interesting and worthwhile,” Beetz says. “Me spending time with you has value because there is an end. I think the reason these characters go off their rockers is because there is no end. So what is morality? Nothing matters.”
Arquette echoes this sentiment, suggesting that immortality removes the accountability of a life well-lived. “When there is no end, there’s nothing you have to pay for at the end, in a way. You don’t have to earn your way with good behavior.”
As They Will Kill You prepares to unleash its unique brand of carnage on audiences, both actresses seem energized by the experience and, if all goes well at the box office, they would be open to more. Beetz expresses a deep interest in exploring the lore of the Virgil, specifically a prequel focusing on the origins of the characters played by Arquette and Paterson Joseph.
“I want to know the Ray and Lily lore,” Beetz says. “I want to see how it all started. That would be so cool. A period film.”
Arquette, meanwhile, is ready for more physical challenges if a sequel comes to fruition. “I want to do more martial arts training,” she says, having been impressed by Beetz’s performance. Arquette also has not ruled out a return to her horror roots in other ways. Her former costar Robert Englund, the actor best known as Freddy Krueger, has been clamoring for a Dream Warriors remake for years, adding that he’d love to sign up for a cameo. When asked if she would be game for a quick appearance, she smiles. “Never say never. Who knows, you know?”
For now, however, the focus remains on the “weird,” bloody, and bold world of They Will Kill You — a film that honors the past of the genre while carving out a new, inclusive future.
As Beetz trailblazes her way into the pantheon of horror’s female ass-kickers, Arquette is already there waiting to welcome her. “Zazie is this incredible lead movie star — [she has] star quality, [she’s] so charismatic — but also carrying that heart through it,” the Severance star gushed. “It’s a mix, and that’s really exciting for me to watch as a horror fan.” ❖
“They Will Kill You” opens in theaters today.