Is 'They Will Kill You' inspired by true events? Inside the director's creepy real-life experience
'They Will Kill You' is one of the surprise flicks generating the buzz as the weekend inches closer. Directed by Kirill Sokolov, the horror-thriller follows an ex-convict who responds to an ad for a housekeeper at a mysterious New York City apartment, unaware she is entering a community that has seen a slew of disappearances over the years. The movie hits home screens just a month after its theatrical release. With the films now available on video-on-demand (VoD), one question doing the rounds was whether it was based on a true story. And, in what is a chilling piece of news, 'They Will Kill You' is inspired by true events based on Sokolov's old apartment.
In an interview with PEOPLE, the director revealed the scary details. "My wife and I, we rented an apartment 10 years ago in a 16-floor building. And after a week of living there, we understood that everyone else in this building was older than 65 years and mostly lonely ladies," the director explains. He further added that to him, it was the "first signal" that "something strange" was going on. Also, Sokolov discovered an unusual "hole behind the kitchen cabinet that [led] to the neighbor's apartment." This made him and his wife speculate whether the apartment belonged to a cult. "Okay, we probably rented our apartment inside the cult, and they will come after us, and they will sacrifice us." This inspired him to come up with the horror flick. He does not live in that apartment anymore, as confirmed to the outlet. For Solokov, what turned out to be a scary experience later made him use that idea and turn it into a movie.
The film stars Zazie Beetz as Asia Reaves, Myha'la as Maria Reaves, Asia's estranged younger sister, Paterson Joseph as Ray Woodhouse, Tom Felton as Kevin Sullivan, Heather Graham as Sharon Vanderbilt, Patricia Arquette as Lilith Woodhouse, and Angus Sampson as Asia's private investigator. It opened to mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office squib, making just $19 million on a $20 million budget. That said, it has seen some solid reviews from fans. Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reads, "A hyper-stylized battle royale with vivid gothic setting, but a fierce Zazie Beetz keeps the bloodletting infectiously fun." At the time of writing, the horror feature is available on digital platforms from April 28, for $24.99 rental or purchase. Platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and YouTube Movies all carry the option.
