The Killers Fantasia Review: Alluring Crime Anthology

The Killers is a crime anthology helmed by four gifted directors that features contract killer tales with distinctive style and vision.

The first story in The Killers, which Kim Jong-kwan directs, is named ‘Metamorphosis.’ I won’t get into the plot details and give anything away, as this is a story you will want to go into blind. However, I will say that Shim Eun-kyung plays a mysterious barkeep who helps an injured man in need and forever changes his life. The story excels visually by using red to reflect the film’s sultry tone and draw the audience’s attention to essential components. The narrative also utilizes color effectively to reflect various themes, including passion, violence, danger, and power. ‘Metamorphosis’ is an audacious opening to this anthology film. It’s full of captivating imagery, with an intriguing character at its center.

Then we have ‘Contractors.’ This is The Killers’ second segment, which Roh Deok directs. This story is definitely the most comedic of the four and brings dark comedy to the bleak subject matter. The narrative follows a contract killer who is assigned a job only to pass it to another killer. That person then assigns it to another killer, and so on. However, as the job is handed down to an array of individuals, the details of the intended assignment become skewed, and the payout for each newly assigned killer is significantly less than the original funds intended. 

‘Contractors’ very much reminded me of The Whispering Game, which many kids would play in school. The game begins with one person relaying a message to the person sitting next to them, and the verbal communication is then passed through a line of people. However, when the message is communicated through multiple individuals and reaches the last person, the original verbal statement has become something entirely different. 

Roh’s simple yet effective premise leans heavily on the hilarity of miscommunication and greed while introducing unforeseen, comedic challenges that the contracted killers never see coming into the story. Once these issues arise, the killers have no choice but to solve them and deal with the potential consequences. In a nutshell, ‘Contractors’ is a riff on incompetent criminals and the absurdity of unprecedented obstacles during a shady job gone wrong. Roh’s story finds a way to make dark material lighthearted, playful, and entertaining in every possible way.

The third film in the anthology, ‘Everyone Is Waiting For The Man,’ directed by Chang Hang-jun, is by far my favorite. The story centers around a local restaurant owner who strikes up a conversation with one of her customers. When she asks her patron what brings him to the area, he informs the eatery manager that he is on the lookout for a killer who is meant to visit the restaurant that evening. The issue, however, is that he is unaware of the murderer’s appearance. A distinct body marking is the only distinguishable characteristic of the person he is hunting down. This is the only clue that can point him in the right direction of the criminal. Later, we are introduced to various other individuals who are also looking for the perpetrator. 

What I love about Chang’s story is how high the stakes are early on. With a killer on the loose, we never know what characters to trust, which allows tension and suspense to thrive throughout the film’s runtime. The narrative plays out like a short whodunit type mystery. As new individuals enter the picture, the audience must analyze each character’s mannerisms and demeanor to reveal the true killer’s identity accurately. ‘Everyone Is Waiting For The Man’ is a thrilling viewing experience in which not even the characters know who the slayer is, leading to intense real-time situations. After all, if the killer is in the room, no one is truly safe.

The Killers’ final segment is ‘Silent Cinema’, directed by Lee Myung-se. This short is the most outlandish of the four films. Similar to ‘Everyone Is Waiting For The Man’, the narrative introduces two killers searching for an unidentified individual they wish to execute. Though the pair are unaware of his appearance, they know he visits the local café daily at 6 pm. In this story, the shop owners become caught in the crossfire when the contract killers enter the diner looking for their target, and chaos ensues.

While I appreciate the director’s conviction in his portrayal of an otherworldly existence that these characters are a part of, ‘Silent Cinema’ is probably my least favorite of the stories. A distinctive neo-noir style clearly inspired this segment, yet I found the narrative tumultuous. It also feels like a repeat of the third film, only a much less compelling and controlled version. That said, even if ‘Silent Cinema’ isn’t your cup of tea, there’s no doubt that Lee presents visually engaging and stylistically interactive elements, which are the film’s strong suits.

The best thing about The Killers is that even if you don’t like every story, there’s likely to be one short that you gravitate towards. Each of the directors involved in the project has different strengths and ideas, making their film distinctive in some way. Whether visually, tonally, or stylistically, how each is presented never feels quite the same.

Overall, The Killers is one of Fantasia’s best films. It redefines the crime thriller subgenre by introducing fresh ideas and absorbing hitman stories in unique ways.

The Killers premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 3, 2024. Read our reviews of horror anthology movies Lore, Scare Us, and Fear Street Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3!

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