‘The Kill Room’ Review: Samuel L. Jackson’s Priceless Delivery Is the Chief Reward in Otherwise Unmemorable Dark Comedy

It would be surprising if the screen language of Samuel L. Jackson hasn’t already inspired a graduate-level course in some film school. We all know the greatest hits, of course, including Pulp Fiction’s “And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee” and my personal favorite, “I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!” from the movie that need not be identified.

The new comic thriller in which Jackson co-stars with Uma Thurman (reuniting after Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Vol. 2) and Joe Manganiello provides more curriculum fodder, even if “I’ll conceptual art your ass!” and “Bullshit in a china shop!” won’t erase anyone’s memories of the aforementioned gems. On the other hand, the film does provide the opportunity to hear the veteran actor speak Yiddish, comment disparagingly about alta kockers, and utter the phrase “Oy gevalt!” So you can’t say viewers of The Kill Room don’t get their money’s worth.  

Jackson’s inimitable way with dialogue is the chief pleasure of this otherwise unmemorable dark comedy, built on the sort of art world satire that would have seemed dated decades ago.

Manganiello plays Reggie, a hitman whose distinctive method of dispatching his victims is suffocating them with plastic bags. When he and his criminal handler Reggie (Jackson), whose cover is as a Williamsburg bakery owner (hence the Yiddish), realize they need a way to launder their ill-gotten financial gains, they turn to Patrice (Thurman), the Adderall-snorting owner of a failing art gallery. It’s but one of many plot incredulities littering Jonathan Jacobson’s screenplay.

The dubious scheme involves Reggie’s clients paying Patrice instead of him, under the guise that they’re buying artworks. Since the plan requires actual pieces of art to change hands, Reggie starts creating them, using as raw material the same sort of plastic shopping bags he uses to kill people. No points for guessing that he quickly becomes an art world phenomenon under the moniker “The Bagman,” selling original pieces to fans including a wealthy art-collecting couple (Larry Pine and Candy Buckley) who find his work an aphrodisiac and attracting the attention of a smarmy art critic known as “The Kimono” (Debi Mazar).

Since there have been countless news stories in recent years about such conceptual art pieces as Maurizio Cattelan’s banana taped to a wall and Banksy’s shredded painting garnering huge sums, the satire in this comedy directed by Nicol Paone (Friendsgiving) doesn’t exactly break any new ground. And a subplot involving Reggie and Patrice conspiring to assassinate a Russian oligarch (Alexander Sokovikov) at a Miami art fair to free themselves from their illicit obligations once she discovers the true nature of his criminal activities proves more laborious than clever.

The Kill Room remains watchable thanks to the charisma of its leads, with Thurman finding various amusing ways to express beleaguerment, Manganiello coasting on his low-key, macho appeal and Jackson, well, doing his Samuel L. Jackson thing, only this time sporting a truly impressive beard.

A talented cast of supporting players provides intermittent fun as well, including Maya Hawke (Thurman’s daughter), New York theater veteran Matthew Maher, Jennifer Kim and Dree Hemingway. But their efforts are not enough to make the film’s unwieldy blend of casually brutal violence and broad humor palatable.