Director Kirill Sokolov pulls from a wild assortment of influences to craft his new film “They Will Kill You”. It’s a genre fever dream, custom made for the midnight movie crowd, that is equal parts action, horror, and comedy. It’s a fast-moving and hyper-stylized extravaganza of blood and guts, with the kind of cinematic gusto to keep its audience onboard, even as the grindhouse glee starts to wear off.

There is very little in “They Will Kill You” that we haven’t seen before. And that feels strange to say considering how bonkers things get. Sokolov and his co-writer Alex Litvak throw together enough lore to get by, most of which bears a strong resemblance to the “Ready or Not” films. It too has a tough-as-nails female protagonist, a confined single location setting, rich and entitled elites, and a deranged satanic cult.

The difference with “They Will Kill You” is in how gonzo it’s willing to go. Sokolov takes some absurdly wild turns and it ends up working in the movie’s favor. So much so that it becomes easy to look past the familiar premise because you’re having so much fun amid the genre-blending chaos. And it doesn’t hurt having Zazie Beetz, whose physically demanding, go-for-broke performance impresses from the very first moment she appears on screen.

Beetz plays Asia Reeves, an ex-convict who arrives in New York City in search of her younger sister, Maria (Myha’la). Ten years earlier, Asia was arrested and sent to prison for shooting their brutish father who routinely abused Maria. Now she’s out and has tracked her sister to a towering co-op building in Manhattan called The Virgil. Posing as the new maid, Asia is greeted by the building’s superintendent, Lilith Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette) who immediately shows our hero to her room.

We learn that The Virgil was built in 1923 and is occupied by a number of pampered elites and a large staff of servants. The creepy building also has a dark supernatural history – something Asia becomes acquainted with after a group of robed intruders slip into her room late at night while she’s sleeping. But to their surprise, Asia is no damsel in distress. And as they try to apprehend her, she furiously fights back with fantastically gory results.

From there movie barrels forward, bouncing us from one blood-bathed action sequence to another. The story introduces a bumbling devil-worshipping cult consisting of “an unusual family with rather unusual needs”. But they mostly exist for the occasional laugh and as fodder for the force of nature that is Asia. And honestly, that’s perfectly fine considering the action is the film’s bread and butter. And it is ferocious, frequently tipping its hat to “Kill Bill”, “John Wick”, “Evil Dead”, and more.

The supporting cast is a lot of fun, most notably the comically sinister Arquette and a hysterically gonzo Heather Graham. But this is Zazie Beetz’s show, and she pours every ounce of herself into her performance. She’s not only fiercely charismatic, but also genuinely menacing in large part due to the intense physicality she brings to the role. She adeptly sells every vicious slash, every plunging stab, and every double-barreled blast.

“They Will Kill You” does pepper in a few themes dealing with race and class disparity. But as with most of its story, it never goes deep enough to matter. And though it tries, the movie never lands the second-half emotional punch it’s going for. About the only narrative beat that stands out is the deliciously off-the-rails ending which embraces absurdity in ways you won’t see coming. It fits nicely with the breakneck, gore-fueled action that makes this entertaining romp worth seeing.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS