Bullet Points: Willed to Kill
A creepy murderer getting shot by Sarah Jane Morris is a great way to start a movie. Of course, it may also not be a good sign when a unique serial killer who dresses up mannequins dies before the opening credits. Will the movie be able to keep the momentum going or is it all downhill after the big opening? That is the very question I asked myself after the beginning of Willed to Kill. Did I have the will to continue or was this 2012 movie dead on arrival? I have some Willed to Kill Bullet Points to let you know and I promise there won’t be many more questions.
- Serial Serial Killer Killer – Sarah Jane Morris is Boston homicide detective Karyn Mitchell and after we see her take down a serial killer we learn that is the third serial killer (no surprise coming out of Boston) that she has stopped. And by stopped I mean killed and since it takes three to be a serial killer, Karyn has become herself a serial killer of serial killers but when you are a cop you only have to see the department shrink. Kathryn, like any cop in a movie, eschews help from a professional and ignores any mental health issues. My advice for you for the day is don’t feel bad for seeking help and there is always someone to talk to. However, maybe Kathryn is right in this situation because Dr. Kade seems like a right weirdo, but that never becomes important later in these movies.
- Hot as Hades – There is another serial killer doing his or her thing. Another one? After Kathryn has already killed three? Boston… Am I right? This new serial killer is actually a copycat of an old serial killer and goes by the Hades killer for his (spoiler alert it is a man) penchant to carving the Greek symbol of Hades into his victims. Kathryn even has a connection with the original Hades because she turned her father into the cops as a youngster for being a murderer. The new Hades killer begins calling Kathryn, as serial killers are wont to do, and he knows way too much about Kathryn and her past. Hades disguises his voice and is only filmed in shadows so the audience is in the dark, but if you watch, don’t try too hard to guess because you will probably be correct.
- Exes But Still Partners – In something that probably could only happen in a movie, Kathryn’s partner in the police department Gavin is her ex-fiance who is getting married to someone he knocked up. Kathryn even gets a love interest who seems way too perfect and that never becomes important later in these movies. Willed to Kill did not need any additional subplots to keep up the tension, but they are there if you want them. I will give Willed to Kill credit for keeping the suspense and there are surprisingly good fights considering Kathryn is not an imposing presence, but she can hold her own in a scrap. One scrap gets Kathryn thrown off the case as the FBI comes in to take over, and we all know that local cops and the FBI don’t play nice in movies.
- Will to Live – If you think getting taken off the case and the FBI being involved in the case will stop Kathryn you are a fool. If getting shot, while wearing a vest, by a fake Hades killer (copycat of a copycat?) doesn’t stop Kathryn, then the real Hades killing Gavin is going to drive her to do what she does best, kill serial killers. We learn more about her father and her backstory and her desire to stop murders, but honestly it seems like filler. Stick to the tension, which gets ratcheted up after Hades successfully gets Kathryn to be a suspect for a murder, and scaled down action set pieces and you will do just fine, Willed to Kill.
Hopefully, it is pretty obvious to you that I had the will to keep watching Willed to Kill and I am glad I did. It doesn’t do anything that you probably haven’t seen before but that should never stop you from seeing a movie. There is lots of tension and solid action, but the mystery is pretty elementary. In fact, Willed to Kill tries to make you think they are zigging when they should be zagging, but it is mostly just running in a straight line. If you are someone who likes to feel smart for figuring out the killer, maybe you should skip Willed to Kill. If you are someone who likes Bonus Bullet Points at the end of the Willed to Kill Bullet points, maybe you should keep reading.
- I Already Did Quote – “Give me the bullet points.”
- Incendiary – Willed to Kill is just another movie in the long line of Canadian movies from the Canadian production company Incendo. They make a fine made for television picture.
- Safer – Being a Canadian movie, Willed to Kill was filmed in Montreal, and with all those serial killers in Boston that was probably the smart move.
- HR Nightmare Quote – “Is it too much for a girl to ask for the odd butt grab?”
