You’re Killing Meis a new mystery-horror film from directors Beth Hanna and Jerren Lauder (The Inhabitant), and written by Walker Hare and Brad Martocello. The movie stars McKaley Miller (Ma), Brice Anthony Heller (Icon), Wil Deusner (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,Stargirl), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding,Scream VI), and Anne Heche, in one of her last roles beforetragically dying in a car accidentin late 2022.
You’re Killing Mefollows Eden (Miller), a high school student who, during an ongoing investigation of the disappearance of one of her classmates, goes to a Heaven and Hell-themed party in hopes to speak with the Congressman father (Mulroney) of the party’s host, Schroder (Heller), to get into the college of her choice. Shortly after arriving, Eden finds a phone the belongs to Schroder’s best friend, which shows that Schroder and his friends were the last to see the missing girl alive.In a gripping siege-esque tale, Eden must find her way out of the house before Schroder and his friends can reach her, and make sure she stays silent about what they’ve done.
McKaley Miller Plays a Refreshingly Resourceful Final Girl
One of the biggest standout performances ofYou’re Killing MeisMcKaley Miller as Eden. Gone are the times of the woman protagonist that hides in the closet, waiting for the killer to make the first move. Eden is resourceful, intelligent, and fully takes advantage of the “fight” part of the fight or flight response. She’s amodern final girl.
Miller clearly pulls inspiration from characters and performances in similar movies, like Grace (Samara Weaving) inReady or Not, Erin (Sharni Vinson) in 2011’sYou’re Next, or even Meg (Jodie Foster) in David Fincher’sPanic Room. There’s an entire dialogue where Eden discusses with Schroder about her ability to self-sustain and handle her problems herself, so the trio of baddies should have known better from the start to think they could outsmart and trap her.
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Schroder Is a Villain We Love to Hate
Does it get any worse than a rich kid daddy’s boy of a Congressional representative who thinks he can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants? Brice Anthony Heller’s portrayal of Schroder is flat-out sinister, and he becomes more unhinged as the movie progresses… at least until daddy shows up, and then he seamlessly transforms into a cowardly dog, whose bark is much worse than his bite.
Heller’s performance is exactly the kind of villain the audience loves to hate, which creates an anxiety of excitement, as we wait for whether he’ll get his comeuppance. The physical acting of Schroder’s character was by far the scariest part, as his dialogue was a little rough; he couldn’t help but drop his signature phrase of “You’re killing me!”, every chance he got.
Small Yet Excellent Performances from Big Names
Schroder’s parents are equally detestable, though differently, and it becomes immediately clear why Schroder turned out the way he did. At this point in his career, Dermot Mulroney has become a staple in the horror genre. In just the last two years, he appeared inGone in the Night,Umma,Scream VI, andThe Inhabitant, his first collaboration with Jarren Lauder.
Anne Heche was also a pleasant surprise; she could always do a phenomenal job, regardless of the size of her role. Seeing her as the manipulative brains (and insanity) of the operation was a breath of fresh air, and only made the actress' tragic and sudden death that much more heartbreaking.
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Some Fantastic Cinematography and Lighting
An overlooked aspect ofYou’re Killing Meis the cinematography, and especially the lighting. Specifically, when Eden and her friend Zara (Keyara Milliner) are trapped in a room with their assailants outside, the back-and-forth shots between the two are fantastic; sometimes using and overhead cam to display the view from both sides simultaneously.
Subtle shots like that, as well as perfect lighting during dark scenes, keep the viewer feeling tensed up, rather than wondering what’s happening on-screen. While there were a lot of cutaway shots during kill scenes in the film, they were done tastefully, with style over substance in mind for the art direction of the scenes.
A Solid Story, but One We’ve Seen Before
The biggest issue ofYou’re Killing Meis the predictability of not only the characters, but the story direction itself. With that being said, it’s a story that’s worked over and over in the horror genre, and if most of the other aspects are nailed, like in this film, it generally works out just fine. But, a film needs to take some swings if it’s going to stand out from the rest in such a packed sub-genre. Overall,You’re Killing Medelivered great lead and villain characters, solid performances, intense moments, and surprising and subtle cinematography, but was a little lacking in the story department, due to its predictability.
You’re Killing Meis definitely worth the watch, and is now available in select theaters and on VOD.
