68 Kill

I had never heard about the 2017 movie "68 Kill" from writer and director Trent Haaga before now in 2022, as I sat down to watch it. So needless to say that I wasn't sure what to expect, nor did I know what I was in for here.

The movie's cover/poster was the initial thing that lured me in, as it had a comic book-like quality to it. And of course, with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to sit down and watch "68 Kill".

Well, let me just say that "68 Kill" is an odd movie. Sure, it was enjoyable enough and watchable, but you have to know that you are in for a rather bizarre thrill ride. I think that there is no middle ground with "68 Kill", you either like or dislike it. I liked it, because it was oddly out there and unique.

The storyline is pretty straight forward at its core. But there is just so many random things going on throughout the course of the movie, that it is rather impossible to actually figure out what it around the upcoming bend. And on that account, then writer Trent Haaga definitely managed to churn out something memorable and unique.

There is a good amount of violence and bloodshed throughout the course of "68 Kill", and that was certainly something that I was enjoying, because it wasn't something I was expecting from a movie such as this. Again, the elements of not knowing what lies ahead plays to the advantage of the movie.

"68 Kill" had a good cast ensemble, and I wasn't familiar with the cast in the movie, and that is something I enjoy when I watch movies. I will say that Matthew Grey Gubler, playing Chip, definitely carried the movie quite well with his performance.

If you want to watch something that is out of the ordinary, then you certainly should give "68 Kill" a chance, if you have the opportunity to watch it. I was genuinely entertained by the curve ball storyline.

While it was enjoyable and watchable, I don't think that "68 Kill" is a movie that can support more than a single viewing though.

My rating of "68 Kill" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Chip Taylor's girlfriend Liza had the perfect plan to rip off her rich sugar daddy. It should have been an easy in and out kind of deal. Nobody would get hurt and they would come out of it with enough loot to solve their problems. But things started going wrong as soon as they were inside the rich man's house, and for Chip it was only the beginning of the longest, most terrifying ride of his life.

Let's start by discussing the cast. Matthew Gray Gubler is perfectly cast as "sad sack" Chip. Gubler's facial expressions alone should really make him a bigger name than he is. His range of emotion in just his eyes is very intense. AnnaLynne McCord is his partner-rival as the stereotypical crazy-beautiful Liza… something she is quite good at playing, as seen in "Excision", which coincidentally also starred Gubler. The duo also both starred in last year's festival hit "Trash Fire". Are they the new Hepburn and Tracy?

Alisha Boe, who is distinguishing herself on television, is the breakout star here. Although she was unknown to me before "68 Kill", her strong screen presence suggests that offers are going to start pouring in. She has the look, she has the personality. Heck, she could make one great Marvel superhero, for example.

The film as a whole is great in its bat-poop craziness, and the perfect vehicle for director Trent Haaga. I have been watching Haaga grow as a filmmaker for decades, from being a Troma darling to "Cheap Thrills". With "68 Kill", he has really hit the mainstream, with some bigger name actors and production value that could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood film. He does touch base a bit with the punk rock look of the gas station attendant, and the climax does seem to be something that would fit in alongside "Terror Firmer". Fans of Troma will enjoy this film, as it just keeps pushing the envelope in ways that we never see anymore.

The black humor is endless. We have the "happily ever after" scenario that is quite funny given the amount of money involved. We have lines like "what Dwayne does is his own business" when what Dwayne is doing is certainly more than just his business. This is the blackest of humor with tongue more than firmly placed in cheek.

As with many films, this is not for everyone. Those who are easily offended will be offended. The violence is over the top, the sex is gratuitous… and frequent. But if what offends some is what excites you, this is going to be a must-see. The movie plays March 24 at the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF).

Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Liza (AnnaLynne McCord) are an unusual pairing and completely broke. She watches her sugar daddy opening his safe and memorizes the combination. She convinces Chip to break in. In addition, she kills her sugar daddy and his wife. She also kidnaps and intends to sell Violet (Alisha Boe) to her brother Dwayne.

It is a lot of crazy and a lot of violence. The crazy starts with AnnaLynne McCord. She is one crazy hot girl. The crazy hot ratio calculation is always tricky. You get it wrong and all of a sudden, you're Chip. You definitely want to be on the Alisha Boe side of the line. At the trailer park, I always knew that she was coming. Maybe the movie should show her journey cutting in between torturing Chip. This is a split decision.

Surprisingly I had fun watching this movie. It's a movie you don't have to take too serious, with a lot of violence, even gory moments, a bit of sex, but all with a humorous tint. Maybe it will not make everybody laugh but for me it worked. It's all very fast so you never have a dull moment and so you never get bored. The characters are all well chosen, from hot crazy women to complete deranged maniacs. The cast might not be well-known actors but they all delivered. It's not going to be a cult movie like some others in the same genre but it's a pretty decent one. I had fun watching 68 Kill and that's what it's all about when I watch a movie in this genre. Maybe it's not everybody's cup of soup but I'm sure there will be a lot of people like me that like this kind of fast gory action movies.

It is a movie about a guy who falls in love with a girl and then finds out she is not all like he thinks she is.

Maybe the story-line is something we have always seen before but this movie took it to new levels. The starting of the movie was perfect even the middle part at the end I was kind of getting disappointed but it soon changed. It had all these good kind of thrilling scenes, unexpected scenarios etc. The ending was good and unpredictable. The actress who did Liza did a very good job. Altogether it was an action packed movie good for a one time watch.

Yes I would ask you guys to just check it out.

Notable Acting

Annalynne McCord

Matthew Gray Gubler famous for his acting the movies 500 days of summer and many more

My Rating 7/10