VOD Reveiw: 68 Kill (2017)

"AnnaLynne McCord is a sexy savage."

Until now, we thought that Trent Haaga was just a B-grade actor who has starred in movies like Sutures, Starry Eyes, and a bunch of old Troma flicks like Citizen Toxie.

But no, he's also a writer who penned two movies like  Deadgirl (review HERE) and Cheap Thrills (review HERE), both of which had a decidedly nasty bent to them. Based off of his work on those two movies alone, and the fact that AnnaLynne McCord is a walking sex bomb, we knew that we had to see 68 Kill.

Having now seen it, I'm even more baffled by the fact that AnnaLynne McCord isn't a bigger star, because she's hell on wheels in this one.

Chip is a shit-shoveling loser whose insanely hot, whiskey-tango girlfriend, Liza, wants more out of life than living in a trailer and struggling to make ends meet. That "making ends meet" part involves her having sex with guys for money, which Chip isn't exactly thrilled about, so the two of them hatch a plan to rob her sugar daddy for $68,000, which will put them on easy street. I'm not sure how 68k puts anyone on easy street, but hey, times are tough.

YEAH, SHE INSPIRES THOSE KINDS OF SICK, LONGING LOOKS IN PEOPLE.

Of course the robbery goes horribly wrong when Liza reveals her insane, murderous true self, and she and Chip are forced to kidnap a girl named Violet who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No worries though, because Liza plans to sell her to her way-creepy brother, who makes Liza look like an angel by comparison.

OH GIRL, YOU NEED TO RUN.

Chip being the nice guy that he is though, isn't sure that the he can let sweet Violet suffer such a cruel fate, and so things go from bad to worse to WTF! as he tries to do the right thing and not become a degenerate like everyone around him.

Crazy, bloody twists and turns ensue.

LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES.

This movie is basically about a likable guy who has a crazy girlfriend, and all the shit he has to go through to get rid of her... and that shit is all pretty bloody, twisted, and insane.

The script is what makes this movie so good, that and the actors. As for the written part, yes, this world of 68 Kill is crazy, over-the-top, and more than a bit twisted, but it's populated by genuine people who all feel real, instead of merely being the type of goofy caricatures that tend to populate these types of movies. In a movie that features three prominent female characters, it's nice to see that it was written deftly enough not to feel like male bashing was the intent too, given the amount of shit that Chip had to suffer through.

AnnaLynne McCord is brilliant as the sociopathic sex kitten, Liza. I say brilliant because she doesn't play her in a cartoonish, over-the-top way the whole time, but instead brings a realistic vulnerability to her that makes her sympathetic, and even likable. And man, is she ever ridiculously sexy. Matthew Gray Gubler is equally impressive as lovable loser Chip. He usually tends to play likable guys, and here he just comes off as extra likable as a guy who can't seem to catch any sort of break, and you can't help but feel for him. It's nice to see him in something other than a predictable, case-of-the-week TV show for a change.

The real revelation for us though was Alisha Boe as Violet. Equal parts of sweet and sinisterly sassy, Violet was a nice romantic interest for Chip, and Boe played her perfectly. The girl has a bright career ahead of her.

SORRY, BUT WE'RE NOT CRIMINAL MINDS FANS ANYMORE.

There is no shortage of bloody action in this one, in true grindhouse fashion.

68 KILL INDEED.

As twisted and sexually-charged as 68 Kill is, it doesn't get gratuitous at all with the nudity.

DON'T HAVE TO TELL US TWICE.

"You shovel shit for a living, I suck dick!"
"Ain't too often you get a sweetie like that offer up her pooper, no questions asked. Man, I been tryin' to get that."

IT'S ONLY 68 GRAND. RELAX!

I could easily dismiss 68 Kill as a B-grade, grindhouse wannabe that relies on shock to thrill its audience, but then I'd be doing a disservice to a smart script and a great cast who played some lively characters, and that would not be fair.

This is a twisted and fun flick that we ended up liking WAY more than we thought we would, and if you like darkly comedic thrillers steeped heavily in the trappings of noir and grindhouse goodness, then you should give it a go.

B+

68 Kill is available on VOD now. 

AnnaLynne McCord rocks our socks.