Don’t Kill It is a 2017 horror/thriller about an ancient demon who comes to terrorize a small town and the only man who can stop it.
Today’s Netflix Pick is a terrific, campy, outrageous horror adventure this is wickedly clever and loaded with some cool action moments. Starring none other than Dolph Lundgren in a role seemingly tailor-made for him, it’s a stylistic little Indie gem that should have been the kicker for a whole franchise. It’s Don’t Kill It and it’s what you’re watching tonight. Here’s why.
THE STORY: Directed by Mike Mendez, it begins when a hunter discovers a strange golden artifact in the woods – one that seems to take possession of him as his eyes go black. He then coldly commits to shooting his entire family and then hacking away at his neighbors with a meat cleaver before he is shot dead, only to pass whatever took hold of him to another, and then another and so on. Meanwhile, in a town not far away, Jebediah Woodley (Lundgren), a hardened man of mystery with a dark past learns of the horrific murders, hearing something familiar in the method. He tells FBI agent Evelyn Pierce (Kristina Klebe) what he knows, that he’s in fact a demon hunter and that what’s happening here has happened before. While he’s seen plenty of demons before, this one is a particular piece of nasty, one that can’t die, as it constantly moves from whomever ‘kills’ it to the next. Convincing Pierce he’s legit, the two take to hunting down a beast that by definition is impossible to stop.
WHY YOU NEED TO WATCH: Well right away, what’s not to like? How ingenious is the set up where killing the monster only makes it stronger? Aside from the sharp story, it’s Lundgren who makes this beast so fun. Never quite going for cheesy, he tackles this with a smart balance of whimsy and authenticity, creating a very memorable character that really could have been the center of a whole series of films. He’s endlessly watchable and along with Mendez’s solid direction and a few really well-executed action scenes, this makes for a surprisingly good time. It’s streaming on Netflix right now.