WΔZ

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)

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.

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.

Cast

Release and reception

The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 64% based on reviews from 14 critics.

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."

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."

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."

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. ↑ "Waz - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  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. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.