When we first heard about a film about disabled hitmen in wheelchairs this way back in 2016 we were a little unsure. Either it could have been incredibly tasteless or just jaw droppingly awful. What it actually turned out to be was as inventive and as action packed as any Hollywood film with ten times the budget and ended up on our top films of 2017 list
It was the second feature film from director Attila Till and only his second full length feature film after 2008’s ‘Panic’ which was about ….well…people who would…..panic. The director even put in a cameo.
Kills on Wheels was far different. An inventive, action-packed coming-of-age story of friendship, loyalty and revenge. Zoli and Barba are inseparable friends and outcasts. Both physically disabled, they live in a rehabilitation facility where life seems rather aimless. Zoli needs life-saving surgery but doesn’t want his absent father to pay out of guilt and pity. Enter Rupasov, a mysterious wheelchair-using man newly released from prison. He quickly adopts the two friends and offers them a chance to make some extra money by helping him in his work. That work, however, is murder. Rupasov is a hitman.
Inspired by his own experiences working as a volunteer for disabled people, director Attila Till skilfully blends reality with fantasy as he offers a gentle probe into the lives of those who live on the edge of society.
Unfortunately the disc is a little light on extras with only the following:
- Stunning 1080p presentation (Onthe Blu-ray), with a progressive encode on the DVD English subtitles
- 5.1 Surround and Stereo soundtrack options
- Optional English subtitles
- Trailer
and we’d have loved to have hard a commentary track but hey you can’t have everything.
The film also won a whole host of awards including:
- Winner of FIVE Hungarian Film Awards in 2017
- Cairo International Film Festival, Won, Bronze Pyramid, Best First or Second work of a Director (2016)
- Chicago International Film Festival, Won, Roger Ebert Award (2016)
- Cottbus Film Festival of Young East European Cinema, Won, Award of the Ecumenical Jury (2016)
- Cottbus Film Festival of Young East European Cinema, Won, FIPRESCI Prize (2016)
- Palic Film Festival, Won, Special Mention, Feature Film (2016)
- Thessaloniki Film Festival, Won, Golden Alexander (2016)
- Thessaloniki Film Festival, Won, Best Actor (2016)
KILLS ON WHEELS is released on Dvd & Blu ray on January 15th 2018
*******FIVE FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT KILSS ON WHEELS*******
- It was the official submissionof Hungary for the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ category of the 89th Academy Awards in 2017.
- Actor Zoltan Fenyvesi is confined to a wheelchair in real life and has an instagram account called, well what else but, ‘wheelchairguy’. The other lead Adam Fekeete who plays Barba is also disabled.
- In Hungary it only earned $15,898.
- Fenyvesi completed the New York marathon in 2014 on a handbike
- ….the wheelchairs have…..errr…. wheels….and they go around on them….. and…..um kill people (‘You’re fired!’– Ed)
Here’s the trailer…….
