In his feature film debut, Mortiz Mohr bring us the rip-roaring action romp Boy Kills World. After his family is murdered by the totalitarian heads of state, Boy (Bill Skarsgard, with the voice of H J Benjamin) seeks his vicious revenge on those who organised the annual “Culling” event which saw his family killed. His years of training come to good use as he rips and tears his way through the upper crust of the society which has held him down. After all, revenge is a dish best served bloody.

One of the best feelings you can have while watching a movie is that sense of the story and characters growing on you. When I was watching the first forty or so minutes of the film I kept thinking to myself that I wasn’t liking this, that this script didn’t gel with me or my personal sense of humour; I just wasn’t liking it. However, there was this moment halfway through the film where it all came together and I actually started liking Boy Kills World a lot. There are still many flaws mind you but I started picking out far more positives after this point.

The action choreography immediately sticks out as being a real strong suit. Mohr’s film is balletic, dance-like and elegant whenever characters begin to fight with enough visceral goriness to really make those hits pack a punch. There’s a brilliant training montage close to the film’s opening, which blends psychedelic imagery with some hard hit martial arts action. Wisely edited with minimal cuts and a wide lens so we can actually see what happens, something that many modern western action scenes fail to properly achieve. There’s another scene later, which becomes my personal favourite of the film, which hits many of the tonal feelings of The Running Man (1987). Where these action scenes lose points however is in the overuse of slow-motion, something which I think is trying to capitalise on the recent resurgence of popularity for the films of director Zack Snyder. It really doesn’t work here and spoils the impact of many of the fights.

Bill Skarsgard I’ve never quite bought as an action guy, which John Wick 4 and The Crow  try to position him as at points. But he works quite well here, mostly because he’s focused on a physical performance which lends itself to many of the slapstick gags of the film. Alternatively H J Benjamin (Archer, Bob’s Burgers) feels out of place, but that comes down to the script forcing him to be constantly speaking over the action of the film as an internal monologue. But the dialogue doesn’t live up to the comedic ability of the performer in my opinion. Famke Janssen (Goldeneye, X-Men) and Shartlo Copley (District 9, Hardcore Henry) both turn up for minor performances and turn in some of the most memorable parts of the story. Janssen in particular shines in the way she plays the madness of her character.

On the whole, I really ended up liking Boy Kills World. Despite the many issues I have with script, which weren’t discussed in detail I shall say it feels like they let teenage boys write it at points, and some of the editing choices during the fight scenes, I could easily see myself rewatching this or actively going to the cinema to see. If you are looking for something to pair with Monkey Man, I would give this serious consideration.