Killers (2014 film)

Killers (Japanese: キラーズ, "Kirazu") is a 2014 horror thriller film directed by Indonesian directing duo The Mo Brothers. A co-production between Japan and Indonesia, the screenplay was written by Takuji Ushiyama and The Mo Brothers' Timo Tjahjanto with Kazuki Kitamura and Oka Antara in the starring roles.[1] The film won two out of its three nominations at the 34th Citra Awards, for Best Original Score and Best Sound.[2]

Killers
Directed byThe Mo Brothers
Produced byYoshinori Chiba
Shinjiro Nishimura
Takuji Ushiyama
Kimo Stamboel
Timo Tjahjanto
Written byTakuji Ushiyama
Timo Tjahjanto
StarringKazuki Kitamura
Oka Antara
Rin Takanashi
Luna Maya
Music byFajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
CinematographyGunnar Nimpuno
Edited byArifin Marhan Japri
Production
company
Nikkatsu
Guerilla Merah Films
Merantau Films
Million Pictures
DAMN! I Love Indonesia Movies
Distributed byXYZ Films
Lionsgate
Release date
  • 20 January 2014 (2014-01-20) (Sundance)
  • 1 February 2014 (2014-02-01) (Japan)
  • 6 February 2014 (2014-02-06) (Indonesia)
Running time
137 minutes
CountryJapan
Indonesia
LanguageJapanese
Indonesian
English

Synopsis

In Tokyo, a serial killer is murdering women and posting his violent crimes on-line. In Jakarta, a rogue vigilante uploads his murdering spree for the world to see. A psychotic game of cat and mouse ensues as the two men battle for notoriety. Soon it becomes clear that it's only a matter of time until the two killers square off face to face.[1]

Cast

Production

The film is a co-production between Indonesia's Guerilla Merah Films and Japan's Nikkatsu in association with XYZ Films, marking the first feature film co-production between Japan and Indonesia.[3] Tjahjanto mentioned in an interview that the idea for the film came from Ushiyama who, upon viewing the duo's breakout hit Macabre, proposed a slasher story involving two masked killers competing to kill people on the internet.[4]

The film's production also involved contributions from Gareth Evans' Merantau Films, Million Pictures, and Daniel Mananta's DAMN! I Love Indonesia Movies.[5]

Release

Killers premiered in the Park City Midnight section of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January 20 as an official selection.[4] It then received a theatrical release in Japan on February 1 and in Indonesia in February 6.[6] In the following months, the film was screened in multiple international film festivals.[6] It was subsequently purchased for distribution in several top markets, including Germany by Tiberius Film GmbH, France by Wild Side Films, Turkey by Calinos Films, Hong Kong by Sundream Motion Pictures, United Kingdom by Lionsgate, North America by Well Go USA Entertainment, and Australia & New Zealand by Vendetta Films.[7] Well Go USA Entertainment released the film in limited screens on January 23, 2015[8] and on DVD & Blu-ray on April 7, 2015.[9]

There are few differences between the Indonesian, Japanese, and International theatrical versions. The Indonesian version has been edited with scenes containing excessive violence and nudity being removed or softened to comply with local censorship regulations, while the Japanese and International theatrical versions contains scenes omitted from the Indonesian version.[10]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 73% score based on 15 verified reviews as of February 2021, indicating generally favorable reviews.[11] In a positive review, Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "This seemingly generic thriller has plenty of twists in store, but perhaps none as surprising and impressive as its ability to manipulate the viewer–first to side with the villains, then to question one's own core beliefs."[12] Conversely, Simon Abrams of The Village Voice called the film an "amateurishly realized sensationalism", criticizing Nomura's and Bayu's characters as "generically morbid sociopaths with way too much time, and blood, on their hands".[13]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014 34th Citra Awards Best Original Score Fajar Yuskemal Won
Best Sound Fajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
Won
Best Visual Effects Andromedha Pradana Nominated
2014 3rd Maya Awards Best Cinematography Gunnar Nimpuno Nominated
Best Original Score Fajar Yuskemal Nominated
Best Sound Fajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
Won
Best Makeup & Hairstyling Kumalasari Tanara Won
2015 Golden Trailer Awards Best Foreign Action Trailer Red Circle Productions Nominated
Best Foreign Thriller Trailer Red Circle Productions
Well Go USA Entertainment
Nominated
2016 Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival Best Bloodbath Honorable Mention The Mo Brothers Won

References

  1. Stamboel, Kimo; Tjahjanto, Timo (1 February 2014), Killers (Action, Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller), Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya, Guerilla Merah Films, Nikkatsu, XYZ Films, retrieved 5 February 2021
  2. "Ini dia nominasi Festival Film Indonesia 2014". Antara News. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. Killers (2014) - IMDb, retrieved 5 February 2021
  4. "Duo Sutradara Indonesia 'The Mo Brothers' Tembus Sundance lewat 'Killers'". VOA Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. "Jadwal Rilis Film 'KILLERS' Diundur". www.kapanlagi.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. Killers (2014) - IMDb, retrieved 5 February 2021
  7. Kay, Jeremy (30 January 2014). "XYZ Films sells Killers to Lionsgate UK Description". Screen International. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. Killers Come to the U.S. in January
  9. The Mo Brothers Bring Killers into Your Home Video Collection
  10. Okezone (13 June 2013). "Takut Disensor, Daniel Mananta Bikin Dua Versi Film Killers : Okezone Celebrity". Okezone (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  11. Killers (2014), retrieved 5 February 2021
  12. "Review: 'Killers' skillfully plots twisting moral dilemmas". Los Angeles Times. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  13. Abrams, Simon. "Killers (2015)". The Village Voice. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.