Review by Leofwine_draca

KILLERS is something different, a hard-hitting and explicitly violent serial killer outing made as a co-production between Indonesia and Japan. It's a film of two halves, one that tells two separate story lines that gradually merge before meeting up at the climax.

The initial storyline is a Japanese-based tale about a guy who goes around murdering beautiful young women in the most vicious way imaginable. Even worse, he uploads footage of his crimes to the Internet for other users to enjoy. This is in the same territory as THE CHASER or I SAW THE DEVIL, absolutely disturbing viewing without dwelling on needless protracted torture or the like. Needless to say it's gripping, with subtle acting and a mature approach to the story.

The second storyline is set in Indonesia, and brings to mind the world of THE RAID and its sequel; a couple of actors from those films feature prominently. It involves a journalist who fails to bring down a crime boss and soon finds himself driven into his own murky world of vigilante violence. The film's heart is present in the form of the likable Oka Antara, a guy who goes on a dark yet gripping journey.

The storyline is unpredictable throughout, only becoming predictable for the violent climax. But for the most part it's exemplary: dark, harrowing, exciting, the sort of wide-reaching storyline that can only be told through cinema screens. The reason it's so good is that it focuses on the psychology of the killers, which makes this much more than another boring slasher. It's outstanding, in fact.