“Kill Your Friends” is a dark comedy film that takes a hilariously cynical look at the cut-throat world of the music industry during the 1990s. The movie follows an ambitious A&R music executive who will stop at nothing to climb his way to the top, even if it means betraying and backstabbing his colleagues. The main character’s motivations are akin to a shark’s – always moving forward, never satisfied with his present position. The film provides a biting satire on the ruthless nature of success and how it can corrupt even the most decent individuals. As the story unfolds, we see just how far one can go in their quest for power and success. “Kill Your Friends” is a darkly comic tale of ambition, greed, and moral decay set against a backdrop of drugs, sex, and Britpop.
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Review
Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the movie “Kill Your Friends”.
Do you remember the heady days of 1990s Britpop? Oasis vs Blur, Spice Girls vs All Saints, and a seemingly never-ending string of one-hit wonders.
Well, the satirical thriller “Kill Your Friends” takes us back to that era. We follow A&R man Steven Stelfox (played by Nicholas Hoult) as he tries to claw his way to the top of the music industry. And when I say “claw”, I mean it quite literally – there’s plenty of bloodshed along the way.
The film is based on a novel by John Niven, who worked in A&R himself during the 90s. So while “Kill Your Friends” is fictional, it’s steeped in that world’s realities.
The movie starts with Steven in crisis mode – he’s just been passed over for a promotion, and he’s worried about being edged out of his job altogether. So what does he do? He starts bumping off his colleagues, of course.
It sounds like a bleak premise – and it is – but “Kill Your Friends” pulls off an interesting balancing act. Yes, Steven is a monster. But he’s also incredibly funny – Hoult plays him with such arch detachment that we can’t help but be charmed by him.
In fact, there are times when we find ourselves rooting for him – not because we think killing people is great (obviously), but because the people he’s targeting are so loathsome themselves.
There’s Mog (Tom Riley), who seems to have got where he is purely through sycophancy; Parker-Hall (James Corden), a hapless buffoon who has no idea what he’s doing; and Rebecca (Georgia King), who thinks she was born to be famous but has no actual talent.
But it’s not just the characters who are loathsome – it’s the entire industry. “Kill Your Friends” skewers the way music is bought and sold, with executives crowding round a table to decide whether a band is “hip” or “passe”.
It’s all about selling an image, not a sound – which means that the music itself becomes almost incidental. When Steven hears a song he actually likes, he can barely contain his excitement – it’s such a rarity.
The film’s soundtrack is an eclectic mix of Britpop classics, from Pulp to Blur to the Chemical Brothers. But it also features more recent tracks by Chvrches and Royal Blood – suggesting that, while the music industry may have changed since the 90s, its problems remain.
One of the most striking things about “Kill Your Friends” is just how well-cast it is. Hoult is perfect as Steven – he’s charming and terrifying in equal measure.
But there are great performances elsewhere too. Edward Hogg plays Derek, Steven’s hapless assistant who seems destined for great things but never quite gets there. Craig Roberts (of “Submarine” fame) steals his scenes as Ross, a young wannabe A&R man who can’t quite hide his desperation.
And then there’s Rosanna Arquette in a small but memorable role as Steven’s mother, who delivers one of my favourite lines in the film: “You’re going to have to be very clever if you want to make something of yourself.”
Director Owen Harris deserves plenty of credit for bringing everything together so stylishly. He makes great use of locations – London never looked this bleak or glamorous during Britpop – and knows exactly when to ratchet up the tension.
If I had one criticism of “Kill Your Friends”, it would be that parts of it feel slightly predictable. We know from early on that Steven will stop at nothing to get what he wants; we also know that his comeuppance can’t be far away.
But even when the film is ticking off the expected tropes of a crime thriller, it does so with such verve and style that it’s hard to complain.
It’s been several years since “Kill Your Friends” was released, and I’m still surprised it didn’t get more attention. Maybe it felt too niche – aimed at a crowd who remembers the 90s fondly, but not necessarily anyone else.
But if you’re looking for something darkly funny and stylishly made, “Kill Your Friends” is well worth your time. Just don’t take Steven as a role model – he’s definitely not Ariely-approved.
Technical Data
- Runtime : 104
- Release : 2015-11-06
- Genre : Comedy, Crime, Thriller
- Cast : Nicholas Hoult as Steven Stelfox, Craig Roberts as Darren, Georgia King as Rebecca, Tom Riley as Parker-Hall, Jim Piddock as Derek Sommers
- Crew : Peter Burgis as Foley, Arthur Graley as Sound Editor, Marshall Leviten as Line Producer, Tanya Lodge as Makeup Designer, Derek Trigg as Sound Editor
- Popularity 9.718
- Budget : 0
- Revenue : 0
- Company : Altitude Film Entertainment, Unigram, AI Film
- Summary : In the late 1990s, a drug-addled nihilist resorts to murder to climb the ladder of the London music industry.
- Tagline : Lies. Betrayal. Murder. Just another day in the music industry.
