A key element of Kill List is deception. Just as Jay is unknowingly being led down a (very) dark path by a Wicker Man-infused cult, so are the audience being waylaid a little. The film presents itself as an all-out horror, with a creepy poster and foreboding trailer creating a palpable sense of dread before it even starts. And then, following a unnerving and quick opening credits, it's straight into splintered family dynamics and financial troubles. Wait, what? It takes Kill List over two-thirds of its run-time to get to its true horror, up until then being a Brit-crime thriller (albeit a painfully disturbing one), which is where the film really divides people. There's a sense of unease to that first hour, but, particularly with the subsequent twist, it can initially feel a little aimless. After seeing the film many people instinctively wish the whole thing had kicked into gear faster, while others posit that, like The Wicker Man, it is all about the slow build and that sense of disquiet within the normal. There's very little opportunity for middle-ground on the film, with it being one that typically gets given the Marmite "love it or hate it" label. And no matter what side you fall on, it's hard to disagree with that sentiment.
