WΔZ

WΔZ (pronounced double-u delta zed) is a 2007 British crime horror thriller film directed by Tom Shankland, written by Clive Bradley, and starring Stellan Skarsgård, Melissa George, Selma Blair and Tom Hardy. The film was released in the United States with the title The Killing Gene.[1]

For the mathematical equation, see Price equation.

WΔZ
British theatrical release poster
Directed byTom Shankland
Written byClive Bradley
Produced byAllan Niblo
James Richardson
Starring
CinematographyMorten Søborg
Edited byTim Murrell
Music byDavid Julyan
Distributed byVertigo Films
Release dates
  • 30 July 2007 (2007-07-30) (Stuttgart Fantasy Filmfest Nights)
  • 22 February 2008 (2008-02-22) (United Kingdom)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£5 million
($10 million)

Plot

A pair of detectives attempt to solve a series of grisly murders in a dark rain soaked New York in which each victim has the Price equation (wΔz = Cov (w,z) = βwzVz) carved into their chests .

Detective Eddie Argo (Skarsgard) and his new partner Helen Westcott (George) decipher the strange equation and realize each victim must make a heinous choice: kill your loved ones or be killed. Soon, it is clear the perpetrator has suffered a similar fate and is now coping by attempting to solve this philosophical quandary.

Cast
  • Stellan Skarsgård as Eddie Argo
  • Melissa George as Helen Westcott
  • Selma Blair as Jean Lerner
  • Tom Hardy as Pierre Jackson
  • Ashley Walters as Daniel Leone
  • Paul Kaye as Gelb
  • Michael Wildman as O'Hare
  • Sally Hawkins as Elly Carpenter
  • Michael Liebman as Wesley Smith
  • John Sharian as Jack Corelli
  • Alibe Parsons as Miss Allaway
  • Sean Brian Chipango as Jamal Osman / Khaled Osman
  • Barbara Adair as Alice Jackson
  • Lauren Hood as Sharon Williams
  • Sheila Kerr as Alison Lerner
  • Joshua O'Gorman as Dominic Carpenter
  • Robert Phillips as Captain Maclean
  • Marcus Valentine as Hassan Harbi
  • Peter Ballance as Trucker
  • Igor Smiljevic as SWAT leader
  • Larry Cowan as Junkie
  • Laurence Doherty as NY Detective
  • Roy McManus as Paramedic

Release and reception

The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 71% based on reviews from 14 critics.[2]

CHUD.com wrote of the film, "Director Tom Shankland paints a grimy portrait that fits well with the Clive Bradley script. It is a great debut for both filmmakers who created a movie that works on almost every level."[3]

DVD Talk wrote, "But let's not kid ourselves: This is a nasty horror thriller that has a Class of 1984 feel to it, although it has the most in common with the Saw series (even the line "Oh yes, there will be blood!" is morphed into "But there will be pain!"). It's not quite as outlandishly brutal, but it's still mean."[4]

Fortean Times wrote, "While the plot twists rarely come as a surprise, the film's grimy feel and effective pacing, and a gripping – if occasionally rather over-exaggerated – central performance by Skarsgård, make this a genuinely thrilling venture into Se7en territory, despite the unfortunate silliness of the title."[5]

See also

References
  1. Jason Buchanan (2012). "The Killing Gene overview". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  2. "The Killing Gene". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster.
  3. "The Killing Gene unrated". DVD review. Chud.com.
  4. "The Killing Gene unrated". DVD review. DVD Talk.
  5. "The Killing Gene". film reviews. Forteantimes.com.
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