Although he struggles to make the British-feeling production convince, UK helmer Tom Shankland gets the faux-Fincher nihilism just right.
Comment
02/22/08
The Killing Gene (2008)
71
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:10
Rotten:4
Average Rating:5.9/10
Starring: Ashley Walters, Paul Kaye, Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George
Director: Tom Shankland
Reviews for The Killing Gene
1 - 16 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
Out of the bloodiest horror, the darkest noir and the bleakest morality drama, Tom Shankland has crafted an unusual and highly affecting love story, with a central performance from Stellan Skarsgård to die for.
02/14/08
A little too close to torture-porn for most tastes, but debutant director Tom Shankland shows promise.
02/22/08
If you’ve got the stomach for strong scenes of torture, and the heart to take part in an uncomfortable debate about human nature, this intelligent horror is well worth your time...
02/22/08
Top Critic'The Killing Gene' feels like a film that was trying to be something else -- maybe a dark and bloody episode of 'The Wire.'
08/10/08
The film succeeds on the back of one stellar performance, two surprisingly engaging plot threads, and a whole bunch of seriously unpleasant atmosphere.
11/20/07
Think of Saw and multiply it by Seven.
02/22/08
This serial-killer horror is a knockoff of the now seriously knackered Saw franchise.
02/22/08
Top CriticThe most unusual and original horror film to be made on these isles in many a year.
02/22/08
Click to read the article
09/01/07
Top CriticIt's a little misguided, but you can't help but admire [Shankland's] fierce sense of style.
08/25/07
Recommended for audiences who thought Kevin Bacon’s Death Sentence was too restrained; everyone else steer clear.
02/22/08
The performances are intense and Morton Søborg’s gritty, atmospheric cinematography recalls ’70s crime movies such as ‘The French Connection’. Sadly, the tonally uneven ‘WAZ’ cannot quite match their piercing intelligence.
02/22/08
Ugly to look at and nasty in the extreme, this British-made flick should please genre fans with its icky body horror. Beneath the surface gore, there’s a healthy amount of psychological intensity for such a seemingly hackneyed Fincher clone.
02/22/08
Click to read the article
08/25/07
Top CriticEnjoyably trashy thriller, stylishly directed by Tom Shankland, despite a couple of dodgy performances and an over-reliance on gory torture scenes towards the end.
02/21/08
1 - 16 (sorted by source; Australian critics are listed first)
Latest News for The Killing Gene
September 26, 2008:
Exclusive: Brand New The Children Photos and Director Introduction
Writing exclusively for RT, director Tom Shankland presents the first gallery of stills from the set of his twisted child-zombie movie The Children and takes us in to the... More...
February 22, 2008:
Exclusive: RT Visits the Set of WAZ
We take a trip to the Belfast set of the new horror movie starring Stellan Skarsgard, Selma Blair, Melissa George and Ashley Walters. More...
September 30, 2007:
RT-UK at the 15th Raindance Film Festival
We give you our recommendations for the films to see at the UK's best celebration of indie cinema. More...
August 26, 2007:
RT-UK's What to Watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival
Rotten Tomatoes UK heads up north to take in the sights and sounds of the Edinburgh Film Festival. And as the celebration of cinema draws to a close we present what's hot and... More...
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