Millennials and Baby Boomers collide in the latest offering from writer and director Richard Bates Jr.. Killer Instinct (released as Tone Deaf in America) charts the intertwining stories of Olive (Amanda Crew, Silicon Valley), and Harvey (Robert Patrick, Terminator 2). Olive is aimlessly drifting through life and, after a series of life-changing events, takes up residence in Harvey’s holiday house. Harvey is a bitter old man who, after losing his wife, has started to hate the young and all they stand for. A clash of cultures ensues with murderous results.
If you haven’t seen Excision or Trash Fire, then I highly recommend you seek them out. If you have seen them then you’ll be familiar with Bates’ brand of spliced genres. A fan of mixing the macabre with satirical humour, with Killer Instinct he takes aim at two feuding generations. America is in an odd place right now and it seems that the two warring factions can be boiled down to the young and old, or more specifically the perceptions that young and old have of one another. Rather than pointing the blame at either side, Bates instead opts to fire shots at both sides, highlighting perfectly how assumptions and stereotypes can have dire consequences.
Since Silicon Valley has ended, Amanda Crew has been steadily carving out a niche in genre cinema. Roles in films such as Freaks and now this demonstrate that she’s got a head for a great script. As Olive, Crew makes the most of her screen-time and charms the audience onto her side. What really makes her part so engaging though is that despite the viewer being fully aware of the film’s genre, Olive is completely unaware of her horror film surroundings. On the opposite side is Robert Patrick’s Harvey, a man whom knows exactly what movie he’s in and relishes every moment of screen time. Patrick is of course best known for playing one of the most iconic cinematic villains, so on paper Harvey is a perfect role for him. It’s a different type of villain to what we’ve seen him do before, but he pulls it off. A special shout out should also go to Bates’ former lead AnnaLynne McCord whom has a brief, but very memorable part.
A film that flits effortlessly from comedy to horror, satire to horrific (contact lens wearers beware), Killer Instinct is a wild ride that will easily entertain those that seek it out.
Killer Instinct is available on Digital VOD platforms now.
