Hello film fans, Slick Dungeon here! Today I am going to be reviewing the independent horror/thriller film Thou Shalt Kill directed by Richard Friedman. I was offered a screener copy in exchange for a fair review for this film. I’ll let you know what I think the strengths of the film are and where it could use some improvement. There will be spoilers but I will keep them mild. If you want to know more I’ve included the trailer below. You can find the film on Amazon here.

What is Thou Shalt kill about?

In Las Vegas there is a serial killer known as Priest, played by Vince Lozano, on the loose. He punishes sinners for their crimes and has gotten away with several murders already.

Meanwhile, recovering alcoholic Shannon, played by Augie Duke, has hit rock bottom. She is in the middle of a difficult divorce with her wife and is fighting for the custody of their son. When she feels all is lost, she goes back to drinking, only to find herself captured by Priest. Now Shannon has to fight for her life and protect her son by outwitting the dangerous killer. But at the same time, she has alcohol induced hallucinations and blacks out, causing frustration for the killer, and sometimes blurring reality for the audience.

The crux of the film is seeing if Shannon and her young son can survive the situation. And we also get some insight into her past through flashbacks building up to a larger story.

The Good

While the motivation of the killer is fairly standard and it reminds me of the villain in Se7en, Vince Lozano comes off as threatening and wholly believable in the film. He has a pretty nuanced performance and he’s enjoyable to watch as a bad guy.

Similarly, Augie Duke really shines as Shannon. She has to go through a multitude of emotions and she does a fantastic job for the most part. It’s easy to buy her moments of rock bottom and desperation in the film. And she plays it smart against the killer, not just bumbling into his manipulations or falling for his rhetoric.

For a low to no budget film, the cinematography works very well. And there a couple of well timed soundtrack songs that stick with you after the film due to the creepiness they impart. The film also makes good use of the short runtime and knows when to end the story.

The bad

There are some things in this movie that people might consider bad but are just a result of low budget. The film takes place in a car for a majority of the film. And a lot of the drama comes from a religious and philosophical debate between Priest and Shannon. Some people are not going to enjoy that but I had no problem with it. In fact, Hollywood has done this before in films like Collateral. I found the performances engaging enough to enjoy this part of the film.

There are a few flashback scenes that do feel a bit wooden to me. I don’t think this is anyone’s fault in particular but there were just a couple scenes that I think didn’t quite sell me on some of the past events. It’s not so pervasive that I couldn’t enjoy the movie but I found those scenes a bit distracting.

And in similar fashion some of the flashback scenes don’t entirely add up with what the characters (especially Priest) are saying in real time. Those scenes were a little less problematic to me though. And the visuals on some of Priest’s scenes are done really well. Sometimes they stretch credulity just a bit but they were fun horror style scenes.

This also looks low budget but that’s because it is. I don’t fault them at all for that and I am always in support of independent film making. But be warned it will look low budget.

The ugly

There’s one complaint I have about the film I can’t quite get past. The ending goes in a direction that I think does not work and it didn’t sit right with me. At a certain point I found myself thinking there was no way they would end it this way. And then they did. For some people this ending is going to be too much for the whole film. I’ll say it is a twist and I can see how they were trying to get there. It just wasn’t for me. Others might find it an incredible turn.

To the film’s credit, the ending wasn’t enough to make me dislike the whole movie. The really strong performances by Duke and Lozano kept me engaged. There is a lot of conversation in the film but I found it to be interesting enough to keep watching. After all, for most of the movie, the only weapon Shannon would have against Priest would be her words. But the whole film would have been made much stronger if they had tweaked the ending just a bit more.

Thou Shalt Kill in conclusion

Do I recommend this film? For some viewers yes. If you don’t mind low budget independent films and you’re comfortable with horror and thriller elements this can be a good watch. But, the ending is not as strong as I would like, and there are a few things that don’t fully add up in the movie.

However, it really is a good effort and there are two standout performances that make the film worth watching in my book. It’s always good to support independent films when Hollywood keeps just sending us the same old remakes, sequels, and prequels over and over. While not all of this film feels completely original, the film makers were trying for something new and independent and I think that is worth watching.

Have you seen this one? If so, let me know what you thought in the comments!

Independently yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see more of my movie reviews? Check out my review of Nosferatu.