The Things You Kill

Play trailer

The Things You Kill

Nov 2025

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience. Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A ruminative thriller that brings life or death stakes to deeply existential questions, The Things You Kill is a marvelous work by writer-director Alireza Khatami that stimulates the mind as much as it punches the gut.

Read Critics Reviews

Soham Gadre

Chicago Reader

Dec 2

Khatami’s direction is unpredictable. He cuts at precise moments to keep the narrative’s core mystery intact, only revealing bits of shocking information later.

Go to Full Review

Bob Mondello

NPR

Nov 21

The filmmaker's first name provides a not-insignificant clue as to what's going on, as his filmmaking deconstructs the story and his protagonist in initially confusing, and then riveting ways.

Go to Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

Nov 14

3.5/4

An unnerving character study that often borders on thriller territory, "The Things You Kill" is a psychologically intense piece of genre filmmaking.

Go to Full Review

Mel Valentin

ScreenAnarchy

Nov 24

While Khatami’s gifts as a narrative and visual storyteller are never in doubt, he’s equally adept at drawing exactly what he needs from his performers.

Go to Full Review

Colton Peregoy

MovieJawn

Nov 16

The Things You Kill works as a stone-cold upheaval of the conditions that make a man’s internal clock tick the way it does, a story of haunting specters and past traumas that continue to torment the present.

Go to Full Review

Roberto Tyler Ortiz

Geek Vibes Nation

Nov 15

6/10

The Things You Kill is well-crafted, introspective, and flawed in ways that sometimes frustrate but often feel true to the messy emotional territory it’s working in.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Vincent S.

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies 4d

This is a little overrated but still a compelling revenge thriller with a story that gets you involved in the plot and all the characters. I do think halfway through the story crumbles a little but the performances are outstanding!

See more

Ian S

Nov 12

Truly beautiful, I did get a little confused midway through but ultimately a most rewarding experience.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Alireza Khatami

Director

Ekin Koç

Ali

Ercan Kesal

Hamit

Hazar Ergüclü

Hazar

Erkan Kolcak Kostendil

Reza

Serhat Nalbantoglu

Behri

View more photos

Synopsis

Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, Ali, a university professor coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. As long-buried family secrets resurface, the police tighten their noose, and doubts begin eroding his conscience. Ali has no choice but to look into the abyss of his own soul.

Director: Alireza Khatami
Producer: Elisa Sepulveda Ruddoff, Cyriac Auriol, Mariusz Włodarski, Alireza Khatami, Michael Solomon
Screenwriter: Alireza Khatami, Alireza Khatami
Distributor: Cineverse
Production Co: Fulgurance, Remora Films, Lava Films, Tell Tall Tale, Band With Pictures, Sineaktif
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Turkish
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 14, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 53m

Most Popular at Home Now