Khali the Killer

He's a hit-man. He's suppose to be a culinary master, but his kitchen is empty. He's suppose to be Latino, but he doesn't speak Spanish. Terribly written and with a fake 70's style that is grating and laughable.

Obviously written and directed by someone who doesn't know anything about Latinos. Pathetic.

The opening scene of the film sets expectations for savage brutality at any moment. And with that tension Jon Matthews is able to insert cathartic, playful humor to great effect. The score, which channels American Westerns, is a surprisingly perfect fit for this unconventional crime drama set in LA.

Richard Cabral fills his role so completely and convincingly that it came as no surprise to learn that Cabral has roots in gang culture. The only thing not believable is that his character doesn't speak much Spanish, because he has the pronunciation of a native speaker. But his powers of sensibility and fearlessness create so much emotional authenticity that it's often easy to forget you're watching a work of fiction. A strong supporting cast and unexpectedly subtle cinematography results in some stunning storytelling for a highly relevant story.

I'm not sure if this film glorifies homicide or just shows what life can be like as a repentant murder. Whatever the case, I became quickly empathetic toward the hit-man Khali even though I'm introduced to him while he's killing four or five Cholos who have first been tied up and gagged. There's loads of humor in this film, which keeps it buoyant and from being a real downer like so many gang films these days. Watch this one only if you like movies about L.A. or gangs, maybe. I lived just south of Melrose at Vine and Willoughby back in the late 80s. Not sure what it's like now, but back then it was a war zone.

I'll keep it simple, it's a great film, well acted, directed and moreover, entertaining. Obviously not gonna be everyone's cuppa tea but I dug it. Yes, not gonna break grounds in film making but was a genuinely entertaining and decent film. Not sure why it's got such a low score. Acting is really good, story is simple and kinda predictable but in a good way. I think, just see it yourself and make no preconceived judgement and I bet you'll enjoy it.

The creators clearly intended to defy the viewer's expectations. When we first see the hit-man title character, he is coldly executing a set of enemies, but minutes later we see him carjacked by a suburbanite teenager, still later getting mistaken for a child molester while looking for his vehicle, and not long afterwards even losing his nerve stalking a pathetically easy target. We know him to have acted ruthlessly, but he's emotionally undone by seeing his grandmother slip into dementia. He self-identifies as a Hispanic East Angelino (i.e., East L.A.), but the only complete sentences he can speak in Spanish are the corny pick-up lines he addresses to his estranged wife. Richard Cabral proves himself a viable leading man, consistently watchable and believable as a desperate but selectively compassionate man, and many of the smaller roles are resourcefully cast. There is blessedly little visual distraction, the director having chosen ready-made locations and somehow having shot a 90-minute movie in less than three weeks. Plot-wise, you could argue that that wrap-up is implausibly tidy (and that technique-wise a few film edits aren't so tidy) but, again, the performances and the uncanny balance of realism and observational comedy is what holds our interest. And after watching, you'll likely avoid tangling with anyone driving a light blue Hyundai.