Kill (2024) review: Is the Hindi-language action thriller worth a watch? 

Kill is a recently released Indian action-thriller film known for its intense and gory action, different from the typical flamboyant Bollywood style. The plot follows events on a train in Northern India, where a group of dacoits terrorizes the passengers.

The official synopsis of the film as per Lionsgate Movies reads:

"When army commando Amrit (Lakshya) finds out his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is engaged against her will, he boards a New Delhi-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves led by the ruthless Fani (Raghav Juyal) begin to terrorize innocent passengers on his train, Amrit takes them on himself in a death-defying kill-spree to save those around him — turning what should have been a typical commute into an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride."

Kill is an intriguing action film perfect for viewers who enjoy brutal action, gore, and a high-octane plot. It's best experienced on a theater screen for the full cinematographic impact.

Disclaimer: This article contains personal views of the author and spoilers for the film.

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Kill (2024) wastes little time in delving into the action

Kill was released across theaters on July 4, 2024, in the USA and on July 5, 2024 in India. Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt, the film does not delay delving into the action after a quiet and tepid start to the story.

The plot begins with an army officer, Amrit Rathod (Lakshya Lalwani) learning about the forcible engagement of his girlfriend Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) to another person. The two decide to convince her father Baldev Singh Thakur (Harsh Chhaya) to accept their relationship.

However, things quickly go wrong when Amrit witnesses a dacoit named Beni (Ashish Vidyarthi) kill a woman on the train. This sets off a wave of violence that defines the rest of the film. Beni and his gang boarded the train to loot the wealthy Baldev Singh and ended up killing his daughter, Tulika. The rest of the film follows Amrit as he moves through the train, brutally killing Beni and his gang.

The action sequences do extremely well as they involve precise choreography. The action sequences increase the gore factor since the plot has limited the use of bullets and relies on blunt force trauma, hand-to-hand combat, and blade-wielding action.

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The film deviates from the usual Bollywood tropes recognized in the West

The film deviates from the traditional Bollywood tropes in numerous ways. While Hindi-language films in the West have been associated with music and dance-filled numbers, with a larger-than-life plot, Kill completely sheds these aspects from the plot.

The film does not include any music or dance numbers, nor is the protagonist shown to have superhuman abilities. The film is also missing the usual dash of melodrama that is seen in major Bollywood films in the West. The short one-hour and forty-five-minute runtime is another major departure from traditional Bollywood films, which have longer runtimes and more elaborate plotlines.

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Kill provides on-the-face action which makes up for a bumpy plotline

While the film showcases some of the best action sequences seen in contemporary Hindi-language cinema, there are certain weaknesses in the plot. The supporting characters like Viresh and Fani get lost in the sea of action, while other passengers on the train are not used well enough to give the plot more depth.

However, the single-location thriller delivers an ample amount of innovative violence to keep viewers glued to their seats, ultimately questioning what ends up happening to the protagonist at the end of the film.

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Kill is currently being screened across theaters in the US. Action-thriller fans should not miss out on the no-frills action film.