Indian commercial cinema has come a long way in recent years, and this hit action thriller will delight fans of the John Wick series. Here, an army commando (an impressive feature debut by Lakshya) attempts to rescue his beloved (Tanya Mariktala) from an arranged marriage whilst travelling by overnight train to New Delhi. After this brief and simple set-up, our hero has to contend with a ruthless gang of bandits, a runaway train and a very unpleasant lead villain (Raghav Juyal). Lakshya commands the screen with smooth moviestar charisma and easy physical fighting skills, proving to be the film's main asset. The film almost seems to come to a conclusion forty-five minutes in - when the title screen finally appears! - but it simply paves the way for an extraordinary relentless revenge-fuelled and even harsher second half, with significant losses on both sides. There are obvious echoes of recent hits like Bullet Train and Train To Busan (without zombies), but the smartly-filmed and well-edited claustrophobic confines of the carriages and corridors emphasise the danger and physicality of the situation. Given its title, the film certainly does not hold back on the violence - there are lots of stabbings in this film - but Kill has real drive, energy and a pulpy feel that make it a must-see for action/thriller fans.
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