May I Kill U?
A black comedy satire of social media vigilantism.
May I Kill U? is a 2012 British black comedy directed by Stuart Urban. The film blends horror and satire, targeting right-wing British politics and the notion of a "Broken Britain." Its story follows a police constable who moonlights as a vigilante cyclist, played by comedian Kevin Bishop. He gains notoriety by murdering people he deems "scumbags" and uploading the footage to YouTube and Twitter. The movie premiered at the 2012 FrightFest film festival and had a theatrical release in the UK the following year. Critical response was overwhelmingly negative.
Critics in the UK were especially harsh. Peter Bradshaw of *The Guardian* called it a substandard indie film that couldn't match an average TV drama. Another *Guardian* review, by Philip French, was one of the few positive ones, praising it as "funny, sharp and ruthless." *Empire* advised readers to "unfollow immediately," comparing the result unfavorably to *Paul Blart: Mall Cop* next to *Taxi Driver*. *Total Film* deemed it a strong contender for the most misguided film of 2013, calling its satire "blunt." *The List* found little humor, only a grim view of policing, poverty, social media, and modern life. *The Daily Telegraph* set a "terrifyingly low benchmark" for the year's worst films. *The Daily Express* called it tacky and low-budget, as blunt as the killer's weapons. *The Evening Standard* noted the joke wears thin quickly but praised performances from Bishop, Frances Barber, and Rosemary Leach. *Little White Lies* described it as a toothless cousin to the Belgian film *Man Bites Dog*, better suited for TV and lacking the dark edge its material demanded. *Metro* labeled it a "flat-footed satire of the London riots." *Contactmusic.com* gave it 3 out of 5 stars, acknowledging strong laughs from its pitch-black humor but criticizing an undercooked, sloppy script. On *Kermode and Mayo's Film Review*, Mark Kermode called it one of the most ill-judged films in recent memory. *Starburst* offered one of the few positive takes, calling it witty, dark, and unexpectedly sad, comparing it to a very English *Bad Lieutenant*.
International critics were similarly unforgiving. *The Village Voice* said the satire was hobbled by obvious characters.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Stuart Urban
- Producer
- Stuart Urban / Alan Jay / Rosa Russo (co-producer) / Mark Vennis (executive producer) / Gary Phillips (executive producer) / Danica Bezanov (associate producer) / Carleen Beadle (line producer)
- Music
- Haim Frank Ilfman
- Cinematography
- Fernando Ruiz
- Editing
- Christopher C.F. Chow / Fernando Ruiz
- Studio
- Vectis Vision / Cyclops Vision / MIKU
- Distributor
- Indie Rights (worldwide) / Devolver Digital Films (worldwide) / Eureka Video (United Kingdom) / Fresh View Cinemas (Zambia) / Russian Report (Eastern Bloc countries)
- Released
- 25 August 2012 · FrightFest
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was conceived as a satire of British right-wing politics and the concept of a Broken Britain, centering on a police constable who becomes a rogue vigilante cyclist. The protagonist, played by Kevin Bishop, documents his serial killings on YouTube and Twitter, gaining social media fame. The film debuted at the FrightFest film festival in 2012 and received a theatrical release in the UK in 2013.
Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, with the film holding a 13% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7 out of 100 score on Metacritic, indicating 'Overwhelming dislike.' British critics were particularly scathing: Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it 'one of those British indie films that come nowhere near the standard of the most ordinary telly drama,' while Empire described it as making 'Paul Blart look like Taxi Driver.' Total Film called it 'a satire so blunt it makes an early - but compelling - case for most misguided film of 2013.'
A small number of less negative reviews appeared. Philip French of The Guardian described the film as 'funny, sharp and ruthless,' and Starburst called it 'witty, snappily directed, surprisingly dark and unexpectedly sad at times,' comparing it to 'a very English Bad Lieutenant.' International critics were generally no more forgiving, with The Los Angeles Times opening its review with 'The only real response to a thuddingly unfunny vigilante satire like "May I Kill U" is, "Well, I hope that filmmaker got something out of his system."'
Reader's Guide
May I Kill U? is notable primarily for its overwhelmingly negative critical reception, which has become a defining characteristic of the film. The film's 13% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 7 out of 100 Metacritic score place it among the most poorly received British films of its era. Critics consistently cited the film's bluntness, lack of humor, and undercooked script as major flaws, with The Daily Telegraph stating it 'sets a terrifyingly low benchmark' for the year.
Despite the near-universal condemnation, a handful of positive reviews highlighted the film's dark humor and visual creativity. Film Threat called it 'a dark commentary on both the social media fed society at large, and a skewed, contemporary take on the superhero origin story,' noting it was 'visually quite creative and fun to watch.' The film's satire of social media vigilantism and right-wing politics, while deemed ineffective by most, was acknowledged as a provocative premise. Its legacy remains that of a cult curiosity, remembered more for its critical failure than its content, though it retains a small number of defenders who see it as an underappreciated dark comedy.
Did You Know?
- The protagonist is a police constable and rogue vigilante cyclist who posts his killings on YouTube and Twitter.
- Philip French of The Guardian gave one of the film's only positive reviews, calling it 'funny, sharp and ruthless.'
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