Kill Your Friends (film)

Last updated

Kill Your Friends
Kill Your Friends poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Owen Harris
Screenplay by John Niven
Based on Kill Your Friends
by John Niven
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGustav Danielsson
Edited byBill Smedley
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by StudioCanal
Release dates
  • 5 August 2015 (2015-08-05)(Fantasy Filmfest)
  • 6 November 2015 (2015-11-06)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$506,721 [2]

Kill Your Friends is a 2015 British satirical black comedy crime-thriller film directed by Owen Harris and written by John Niven based on his 2008 novel of the same name. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Craig Roberts, Tom Riley, and Georgia King. [3] It was selected to be shown in the city to City section of the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. [4] The film was released by StudioCanal on 6 November 2015.

Contents

Plot

London, 1997; the British music industry is on a winning streak. Britpop bands Blur, Oasis, Supergrass, and The Verve rule the airwaves and Cool Britannia is in full swing. Psychopathic twenty-seven-year-old A&R man Steven Stelfox (Nicholas Hoult) is slashing and burning his way through the music business, a world where 'no one knows anything' and where careers are made and broken by chance and the fickle tastes of the general public. Fuelled by greed, ambition and inhuman quantities of drugs, Stelfox lives the dream, as he searches for his next hit record. But as the hits dry up and the industry begins to change, Stelfox takes the concept of “killer tunes” to a murderous new level in a desperate attempt to salvage his career.

Cast

Production

On 12 February 2014, Nicholas Hoult joined the cast of the film to play lead role as (A&R) agent Steven Stelfox. [5] On 3 March 2014, Jim Piddock joined the film's cast to play Derek Sommers, the managing director of the record label. [6]

Filming

Principal photography commenced in London on 10 March 2014 and wrapped five weeks later. [3] The film was shot at Pinewood Studios, London and Greater London.

Reception

The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 23% based on reviews from 60 critics, with an average rating of 4.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Kill Your Friends takes futile stabs at black comedy, all strangled by a glut of tonal jumbles, bad casting, and unremittingly unlikable characters." [7] On Metacritic it has a score of 45% based on reviews from 19 critics "indicating mixed or average reviews". [8]

Andy Webster of The New York Times called it "A richly satisfying poison-pen letter to the music industry." [9] Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Kill Your Friends remixes a brutally funny novel into an entertaining if somewhat familiar big-screen tale of amoral, chemically-fuelled decadence." [10]

Andrew Barker of Variety wrote: "The film has its razor-sharp grace notes and a seductive stylishness, neither of which can override its relentlessly adolescent worldview." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elle Fanning</span> American actress (born 1998)

Mary Elle Fanning is an American actress. She made her film debut as a child as the younger version of her sister Dakota Fanning's character in the drama film I Am Sam (2001). She appeared in several other films as a child actress, including Daddy Day Care (2003), Babel (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Phoebe in Wonderland, and the miniseries The Lost Room (2006). In 2010, she starred in Sofia Coppola's drama Somewhere, and in 2011, she gained wider recognition for her starring role in J. J. Abrams' science fiction film Super 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Hoult</span> English actor (born 1989)

Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor. His filmography includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in independent projects in the American and British film industries. He has received several accolades, including nominations for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Piddock</span> British actor

Jim Piddock is an English actor, producer and writer who began his career on the stage in the United Kingdom before emigrating to the United States in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George MacKay (actor)</span> British actor (born 1992)

George Andrew J. MacKay is a British actor. He began his career as a child actor in Peter Pan (2003). He had starring roles in the British war drama Private Peaceful (2012), the romantic film How I Live Now (2013), For Those in Peril (2013), for which he won a BAFTA Scotland Award and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award, and Marrowbone (2017). He garnered recognition for his leading role in 1917 (2019) which received critical acclaim and numerous awards.

Mission: Impossible is a series of American action spy films, based on the 1966 TV series created by Bruce Geller. The series is mainly produced by and stars Tom Cruise, who plays Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The films have been directed, written, and scored by various filmmakers and crew, while incorporating musical themes from the original series by Lalo Schifrin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Niven</span> Scottish author and screenwriter

John Niven is a Scottish author and screenwriter. His books include Kill Your Friends, The Amateurs, and The Second Coming.

<i>Metegol</i> 2013 film

Metegol is a 2013 computer-animated comedy film co-written, produced, directed and edited by Juan J. Campanella. The film is loosely based on the short story Memorias de un wing derecho by Argentine writer Roberto Fontanarrosa. Gaston Gorali, co-writer and producer of the film, and Eduardo Sacheri developed the screenplay with Campanella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Molony</span> Irish actor

Damien Molony is an Irish actor. He is best known for his television roles as Hal Yorke in BBC Three's Being Human, DC Albert Flight in the BBC's Ripper Street, DS Jack Weston in Channel 5's Suspects, Jon in Channel 4's GameFace and Dylan in Sky One Original comedy Brassic.

<i>Kill Your Darlings</i> (2013 film) 2013 American biographical drama film directed by John Krokidas

Kill Your Darlings is a 2013 American biographical drama film written by Austin Bunn and directed by John Krokidas in his feature film directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, garnering positive first reactions. It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and it had a limited theatrical North American release from October 16, 2013. Kill Your Darlings became available on Blu-ray and DVD, March 18, 2014 in the US, followed by its UK release on April 21, 2014.

<i>Kill Your Friends</i>

Kill Your Friends is the debut novel by the Scottish writer John Niven. It was published in 2008 by William Heinemann.

<i>Young Ones</i> (film) 2014 film

Young Ones is a 2014 action science fiction film directed and written by Jake Paltrow. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Michael Shannon and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on 18 January 2014. The film was released on 17 October 2014 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie Davis</span> Canadian actress (born 1987)

Mackenzie Rio Davis is a Canadian actress, producer, and model. She made her feature film debut in Smashed (2012). In 2013, she appeared in Breathe In and The F Word. She also starred in The Martian (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and Happiest Season (2020).

<i>Equals</i> (film) 2015 American film by Drake Doremus

Equals is a 2015 American science fiction romantic drama film directed by Drake Doremus, produced by Michael Pruss, Chip Diggins, Ann Ruak, Michael Schaefer, and Jay Stern, and written by Nathan Parker from a story by Doremus. It stars Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart as two people living in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where all the people are robotic, emotionless workers, and any sign of emotions is treated as a disease. Additional roles are played by Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver.

<i>Collide</i> (2016 film) Action thriller film

Collide is a 2016 action thriller film directed by Eran Creevy, who also co-wrote it with F. Scott Frazier. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Marwan Kenzari, Ben Kingsley, and Anthony Hopkins. The plot follows two young Americans living in Germany who must complete a drug theft from a crime boss in order to pay for a medical operation.

<i>The Death & Life of John F. Donovan</i> 2018 Canadian film

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan is a 2018 Canadian drama film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Xavier Dolan, in his English-language debut. The film stars Kit Harington, Jacob Tremblay, Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Thandiwe Newton, Ben Schnetzer, and Jared Keeso. It deals with themes of celebrity, tabloid media in Hollywood, mother-son relationships, and homosexuality.

<i>The Current War</i> 2017 historical drama film directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

The Current War is a 2017 American historical drama film inspired by the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, written by Michael Mitnick, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Zaillian, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison, Michael Shannon as Westinghouse, Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, and Tom Holland as Samuel Insull, alongside Katherine Waterston, Tuppence Middleton, Matthew Macfadyen and Damien Molony.

<i>Tolkien</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Dome Karukoski

Tolkien is a 2019 biographical drama film directed by Dome Karukoski and written by David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford. It is about the early life of English professor J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as notable academic works. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, and Derek Jacobi.

<i>True History of the Kelly Gang</i> (film) 2019 film

True History of the Kelly Gang is a 2019 bushranger film directed by Justin Kurzel, written by Shaun Grant, and based upon the 2000 novel of the same name by Peter Carey. A fictionalised account of the life of bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly, the film stars George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe.

<i>The Great</i> (TV series) 2020s comedy-drama TV series

The Great is a historical and satirical comedy-drama television series very loosely based on the rise to power of Catherine the Great, Empress of All Russia. The series stars Elle Fanning as Empress Catherine II and Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter III.

<i>Renfield</i> (film) 2023 comedy horror film directed by Chris McKay

Renfield is a 2023 American action comedy horror film directed and produced by Chris McKay, and written by Ryan Ridley from a story by Robert Kirkman, who also served as producer. Inspired by characters from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film stars Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, and Nicolas Cage.

References

  1. ↑ "KILL YOUR FRIENDS (18)". British Board of Film Classification . 27 October 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Worldwide Box Office for Kill Your Friends". Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 Barraclough, Leo (10 March 2014). "Music Biz Satire 'Kill Your Friends' Starts to Shoot in London". variety.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Sandra Bullock's 'Our Brand Is Crisis,' Robert Redford's 'Truth' to Premiere at Toronto". Variety. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Nissim, Mayer (12 February 2014). "Nicholas Hoult to star in John Niven's Kill Your Friends". digitalspy.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Yamato, Jen (3 March 2014). "Jim Piddock Joins Britpop Comedy Adaptation 'Kill Your Friends'". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Kill Your Friends (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "Kill Your Friends". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Webster, Andy (31 March 2016). "Review: In 'Kill Your Friends,' Corporate Climbing Can Prove Deadly (Published 2016)". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Stephen Dalton (2015). "'Kill Your Friends': TIFF Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Barker, Andrew (12 September 2015). "Toronto Film Review: 'Kill Your Friends'". Variety . Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.