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Killers (2014 film)

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Killers
Directed byThe Mo Brothers
Written byTakuji Ushiyama
Timo Tjahjanto
Produced byYoshinori Chiba
Shinjiro Nishimura
Takuji Ushiyama
Kimo Stamboel
Timo Tjahjanto
StarringKazuki Kitamura
Oka Antara
Rin Takanashi
Luna Maya
CinematographyGunnar Nimpuno
Edited byArifin Marhan Japri
Music byFajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
Production
companies
Nikkatsu
Guerilla Merah Films
Merantau Films
Million Pictures
DAMN! I Love Indonesia Movies
Distributed byXYZ Films
Lionsgate
Release dates
  • 20 January 2014 (2014-01-20) (Sundance)
  • 1 February 2014 (2014-02-01) (Japan)
  • 6 February 2014 (2014-02-06) (Indonesia)
Running time
137 minutes
CountriesJapan
Indonesia
LanguagesJapanese
Indonesian
English

Killers (Japanese: キラーズ, "Kirazu") is a 2014 neo-noir action horror film directed by Indonesian directing duo The Mo Brothers. A co-production between Japan and Indonesia, the screenplay was written by Takuji Ushiyama and The Mo Brothers' Timo Tjahjanto with Kazuki Kitamura and Oka Antara in the starring roles.[1] The film won two out of its three nominations at the 34th Citra Awards, for Best Original Score and Best Sound.[2]

Synopsis

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Nomura Shuhei (Kazuki Kitamura) is a young Japanese executive in Tokyo who is charismatic and well-liked but has a darker side. He killed several people and documented his violent crimes online. In addition, he uploaded the video of the murder to the Internet for all to see for his satisfaction.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, Bayu Aditya (Oka Antara), an ambitious journalist from Indonesia. He suffers from his obsession with uncovering the case of a politician named Dharma (Ray Sahetapy). This caused the breakup of his relationship with his wife Dina (Luna Maya), and his career fell apart.

When his life is filled with problems, Bayu watches one of Nomura's videos and finds another side to his personality. Bayu then feels inspired to become a serial killer. He starts to shape his character and kills as a rogue vigilante in the name of justice. Bayu uploads videos of his murdering spree to the Internet for the world to see.

Unexpectedly, Bayu's video received a response like that of Nomura. They both connect via the Internet, and their bond becomes more complicated. A psychotic game of cat and mouse ensues as the two men battle for notoriety. Soon it becomes clear that it is only a matter of time until the two killers square off face to face.[1]

Cast

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Production

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The film is a co-production between Indonesia's Guerilla Merah Films and Japan's Nikkatsu in association with XYZ Films, marking the first feature film co-production between Japan and Indonesia.[3] Tjahjanto mentioned in an interview that the idea for the film came from Ushiyama who, upon viewing the duo's breakout hit Macabre, proposed a slasher story involving two masked killers competing to kill people on the internet.[4]

The film's production also involved contributions from Gareth Evans' Merantau Films, Million Pictures, and Daniel Mananta's DAMN! I Love Indonesia Movies.[5]

Release

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Killers premiered in the Park City Midnight section of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January 20 as an official selection.[4] It then received a theatrical release in Japan on February 1 and in Indonesia in February 6.[6] In the following months, the film was screened in multiple international film festivals.[6] It was subsequently purchased for distribution in several top markets, including Germany by Tiberius Film GmbH, France by Wild Side Films, Turkey by Calinos Films, Hong Kong by Sundream Motion Pictures, United Kingdom by Lionsgate, North America by Well Go USA Entertainment, and Australia & New Zealand by Vendetta Films.[7] Well Go USA Entertainment released the film in limited screens on January 23, 2015[8] and on DVD & Blu-ray on April 7, 2015.[9]

There are few differences between the Indonesian, Japanese, and International theatrical versions. The Indonesian version has been edited with scenes containing excessive violence and nudity being removed or softened to comply with local censorship regulations, while the Japanese and International theatrical versions contains scenes omitted from the Indonesian version.[10]

Reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 73% score based on 15 verified reviews as of February 2021, indicating generally favorable reviews.[11] In a positive review, Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "This seemingly generic thriller has plenty of twists in store, but perhaps none as surprising and impressive as its ability to manipulate the viewer–first to side with the villains, then to question one's own core beliefs."[12] Conversely, Simon Abrams of The Village Voice called the film an "amateurishly realized sensationalism", criticizing Nomura's and Bayu's characters as "generically morbid sociopaths with way too much time, and blood, on their hands".[13]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Recipient Result
2014 34th Citra Awards Best Original Score Fajar Yuskemal Won
Best Sound Fajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
Won
Best Visual Effects Andromedha Pradana Nominated
2014 3rd Maya Awards Best Cinematography Gunnar Nimpuno Nominated
Best Original Score Fajar Yuskemal Nominated
Best Sound Fajar Yuskemal
Aria Prayogi
Won
Best Makeup & Hairstyling Kumalasari Tanara Won
2015 Golden Trailer Awards Best Foreign Action Trailer Red Circle Productions Nominated
Best Foreign Thriller Trailer Red Circle Productions
Well Go USA Entertainment
Nominated
2016 Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival Best Bloodbath Honorable Mention The Mo Brothers Won

References

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  1. ^ a b Stamboel, Kimo; Tjahjanto, Timo (1 February 2014), Killers (Action, Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller), Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya, Guerilla Merah Films, Nikkatsu, XYZ Films, retrieved 5 February 2021
  2. ^ "Ini dia nominasi Festival Film Indonesia 2014". Antara News. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ^ Killers (2014) - IMDb, retrieved 5 February 2021
  4. ^ a b "Duo Sutradara Indonesia 'The Mo Brothers' Tembus Sundance lewat 'Killers'". VOA Indonesia (in Indonesian). 23 January 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Jadwal Rilis Film 'KILLERS' Diundur". www.kapanlagi.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b Killers (2014) - IMDb, retrieved 5 February 2021
  7. ^ Kay, Jeremy (30 January 2014). "XYZ Films sells Killers to Lionsgate UK Description". Screen International. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. ^ Killers Come to the U.S. in January
  9. ^ The Mo Brothers Bring Killers into Your Home Video Collection
  10. ^ Okezone (13 June 2013). "Takut Disensor, Daniel Mananta Bikin Dua Versi Film Killers : Okezone Celebrity". Okezone (in Indonesian). Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  11. ^ Killers (2014), retrieved 5 February 2021
  12. ^ "Review: 'Killers' skillfully plots twisting moral dilemmas". Los Angeles Times. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  13. ^ Abrams, Simon. "Killers (2015)". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
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