Product Details

• Actors: Barbara Adair, Stellan Skarsgård, Peter Ballance, Selma Blair, Melissa George
• Directors: Tom Shankland
• Writers: Clive Bradley
• Producers: Aldey Sanchez, Allan Niblo, Brock Norman Brock, Duncan Reid, Emma Hartley
• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Weinstein Company
• DVD Release Date: August 12, 2008
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00151QY9Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,278 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Killing Gene" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Convoluted yet engrossing thriller, August 20, 2008

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Killing Gene (DVD)

"The Killing Gene" stars Melissa George as rookie detective Helen O'Mara who is paired with veteran Eddie Argo [Stellan Skarsgard] who is reputed to be a by-the-book cop. They find themselves on the trail of a mysterious killer who seems to target members of a local gang notorious for their acts of violence, each of whom is murdered and carved with "W Delta Z". As they dig deeper, they find that the killings are all related and Helen's in-depth investigation reveals a troubling aspect to the case that is linked to an old case, one which Det Argo would rather not revisit.

This is quite a compelling thriller that makes the viewer think and try to sort out the clues that reveal the motives behind the gruesome murders. There are scenes of torture here that are reminiscent of movies like Saw and Hostel, and disturbingly one involving a kid. The basic premise here has to do with retribution, and this theme is truly convincingly portrayed. The two leads as portrayed by Skarsgard and George are credible in their roles, especially Skarsgard, and finally, there is Selma Blair in one of the most intense roles of her career thus far. Without revealing too much of the plot, I would recommend this movie for those who like compelling thrillers with twists.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No exit, January 7, 2009

By 

Judy K. Polhemus "Book Collector" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Killing Gene (DVD)

The premise of Sartre's "No Exit" is that hell is other people. The flip side plays in "The Killing Gene" directed by Tom Shankland. Hell is choosing to kill someone you love in place of yourself.

The premise begins in a research laboratory with animals. Put one wild card animal in a cage with a group of like kind: snake in with monkeys. Would one monkey sacrifice his life for the others? The research says no. The researcher said the monkeys become just genes. Then two lab assistants decide a twist of provocation on people, beginning with the third lab assistant (Selma Blair) and her mother. They savagely rape and torture her until she kills her mother to stop the hideous assault. The brief snippets of these brutal, bloody hours are not for the squeamish.

Then the serial killings begin through twists and turns of who does what to whom. It becomes a grisly story of extreme betrayal of love and trust. Or are we turned into "genes" in the savage grip of shrieking pain, and it becomes every person for him or herself.

The two newly paired detectives, veteran cop Eddie Argo, played by Stellan Skarsgard (who performs a 180 from his recent role in "Mamma Mia") and Melissa George, a terrified rookie in desperate circumstances but who has the guts to do her job and do it well. This is a detective squad taken right from the set of "Shield"--gritty, profane, probably dirty, and weary and numb from the rawness and violence of their daily lives. As Eddie tells his partner, "There are always shades of gray."

The story is truly film-noir with dark, ugly streets, littered, grafittied halls and walls, dirty, stinking settings in most scenes. So add this bizarre form of serial killing for this squad to solve. Nothing is as it seems.

Sometimes too much of a good thing is not so good. The music--very heavy and atmospheric often over powers the dialog, leaving the viewer to figure out the whispery mumblings of some of the words. However, most films that exude dark and ominous settings overdo it: this one does Dark perfectly.

The conclusion, like most of the story, is an unexpected twist and is past "edgy." Surprisingly, this is one scene played with restraint.

If you don't already know the extremes human beings will take for pain avoidance, then "The Killing Gene" will be a provocative film. But even amongst all the bleakness, there will always exist that one human who will not act according to genes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty thriller with a bit of gore, December 6, 2008

By 

Rex Raven "film fanatic" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Killing Gene (DVD)

I gave the film 4 stars because of the original and somewhat novel script, although as a previous reviewer said, it was certainly reminiscent of Saw and Hostel. If you didn't like those films, this probably won't be for you. I watched the unrated version which may have had more on screen gore, violence, torture than the rated version. Both versions are on the disc.

I won't spend much time revisiting the plot of the film, since it has ably been done by a previous reviewer. The premise is a serial killer wants to prove a mathematical equation, and is using human guinea pigs to prove or disprove the theory.

The theory, is that the individual does not act out of loyalty or love, when given a choice, and will choose to kill a loved one, before dying. The detectives are in a race against time to stop the killer before the equation is completed in human trials, hence the original UK title WAZ, or the killing gene.

The director wanted to preserve a European feel to the film, as opposed to a big budget glossy Hollywood production. He succeeded, making a darker, grittier, seedier flick than a Hollywood production, although I found the dialogue a bit hard to decipher at the beginning of the film, especially with Stellan Skarsgard's accent.

Skarsgard is an accomplished actor, captured the persona of a gruff brooding NYPD detective well, so it may have been the attempt to capture background noises of a big city, during exterior shots, that contributed to the effect.

I thought a number of the British actors pulled off a great job as American street tough gangsters, and was surprised to see Selma Blair of Hellboy II with an integral role in the film.

I must caution I gave this film high marks because I had never heard of the film, had diminished expectations, and was pleasantly surprised at the results. If you don't mind a bit of gratuitous violence it works as a psychological thriller, and has a few somewhat predictable plot twists.

They did a great job of fleshing out the script, and made a seamless transition cutting from NYC exterior shots around Harlem's Morningside Heights, capturing the city's skyline and interior shots in Belfast, Ireland

I'm not sure if it was intentional, but some of the NYC street scenes paid homage to Death Wish, with a new twist. I look forward to seeing other films by director Tom Shankland.