Kill or Be Killed (2015) User Reviews

Something Different - With Some Overly-Hyped Reviews

[markwiseman5-988-103207 · 4/10 · 14 March 2016]

Seriously? 10 Stars? If that's not the film-makers and their buddies trying hard to get noticed, then those are clearly some retarded people.

I'm a big horror fan, and I have nothing against a good western - though it's not a favorite genre of mine, either.

If you're either a horror or a western fan, this would be worth watching - if you don't have anything better to do.

This is a low-budget production, and the film-makers have done a very good job here, considering what they're working with: no-name actors and not much money or high-end special-effects. The effects are TV quality, but the acting is decent enough. Some of the scenes and extras are a bit out of place, not up to the quality you might expect to see - like some of the house roof-tops look a little too modern for the old west. Small things like that detract from the overall effort, but it's easy enough to overlook if you're not being too picky. Decent story and plot. It can be entertaining enough, if you allow it to be. So, while it's obviously not a big-budget studio effort, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its' moments.

This movie is "okay" - definitely closer to rating this a "3" than I would be a "5." If you are not a horror or a western fan, I would try looking at something else before recommending this movie to anyone.

About halfway through and.....

[xhidden99 · 4/10 · 17 June 2018]

No inkling of any horror or supernatural aspect of this. I have to wonder what that's about. It's a western, a pretty straightforward one. They're violent criminals doing violent criminal stuff.

I've seen worse, but not many

[brucegolightly · 3/10 · 4 February 2018]

Frankly, there is virtually nothing to recommend this film. They lost me almost immediately, when the showed what appears to be a coral snake in an arid region.

The story line is marginal, The script is worse than that. The acting is awful.

Someone get me a rolled up newspaper..

[A_Different_Drummer · 2/10 · 3 March 2016]

.. it is obviously too late to reprimand the producers of this travesty with a good solid whack on the nose but presumably we could set an example for future film-makers.

Actually I blame QT. As I have said in many reviews of his recent works (reviews not especially popular with his die-hard and unquestioning sycophantic fans) -- by glorifying the so-called Italian western he has taken a genre that stood for one thing in its era (entertainment) and turned it into something else entirely (pseudo-entertainment, which is really not entertainment at all, unless you are the one cashing the checks.) This movie is a horror. You can intellectualize it all you want but at the end of the day it is a flyspeck on the IMDb database. I notice that as more and more members weigh in, the score gets lower and lower. A trend I expect to continue.

Boring story, sound track intended as a satire which becomes self-satire (not the same thing), no audience connection, no character engagement. Better acting in the Jackass series.

For quality westerns, westerns that will stand the test of time, look at Crowe's 3:10 to Yuma (almost a perfect western) and more recently the Canadian yeoman effort Forsaken.

Stupid waste of time

[jhr2012 · 1/10 · 8 October 2016]

This movie is classified as a horror flick on Netflix. I'm an hour and a half in and I have yet to see the horror?

Maybe they consider a few gun fights as horror these days? To make matters worse, I find it difficult to understand what the actors are saying at times.

Hoping there might be something if I can make it all the way through, which is doubtful. I really don't care about any of the characters at this point.

There is a cute girl that shows up about halfway through, so all is not lost.

This thing rates no more than 1 star.

Don't waste your time.

Rotten to the core

[paulwattriley · 1/10 · 4 January 2020]

Nothing about this movie is good well apart from the score but other than that awful

Neither horror nor thriller

[jinxedind-70671 · 4/10 · 20 October 2021]

A mediocre western with some gore and a 'mystery' that is never explained. The acting was fine, the pacing was good but the editing was choppy. In no way would I classify this movie as a horror other than it had a horrible ending, it was okay up until the last 20-minutes, don't waste your time.

Worth a watch. Fun spin on a familiar story line.

[dcampton · 5/10 · 11 September 2022]

Not sure I watched the same movie as it is labeled. It was a western with decent action and thrills. It was far more comedic than a mystery or horror flick.

Characters are well thought out and developed, the dialogue is fun and entertaining, cineramics are descent, no real romance which is okay, your typical gang of fumbling outlaws with good hearts seeking a humble life but cursed by their past and stupidity. Yet, the plot line is a bit broken, has some continuity problems, B movie filming and production, some failed execution, sloppy direction at times, A dialogue coach would help a lot.

But it was a good watch. Fun spin on a familiar story line.

A Film for People that Want Something Different

[Chicky5150 · 7/10 · 3 March 2016]

This film won't appeal to everyone, it's more for people that watch a LOT of movies and tired of formulas.

I can't quite tell you what this film is, at best it's a Weird Western and a good one. I did not know what was going to happen next, and the villains were the protagonists so that different as well.

The strong point is the dialogue, Graves and Meeks have created a patois that is completely captivating. I don't know that it's historically accurate, but it felt like it came from another time, and it made a lot of the scenes work.

Someone else can summarize the film, and those reviews are easy to find. I think that it's more important to set the proper expectation for this film. It doesn't fit neatly into any genre and it isn't predictable. If you can live with that, you're going to like this film.

This movie was a blast!

[rissuh · 9/10 · 6 March 2016]

I'm a huge spaghetti western fan and this one took me back to the feel of those oldies. Sure it gets a little silly, sure it gets pretty bloody, and yes it is weird - but it was all part of the fun for me. It flowed well and took me along for the ride. They made a solid movie with hardly any budget and no stars, and with a great soundtrack too. That's impressive.

Some people seem to be complaining about its use of different tones that intersect throughout. Have you watched any of the classic spaghetti westerns?? They almost all had comedy, drama, action, violence, and sometimes even a little horror mixed in there. And I'll have to remind you that Bone Tomahawk was ladened with comedy.

It's unfair to compare it to Bone Tomahawk anyway just because that is considered by some to be a "horror western," and that's the only other one released in the last few months (years?). I read an interview of the film makers where they said Kill Or Be Killed was made two whole years before Bone Tomahawk even started. So there's no way they were inspired by it or even knew about it probably.

If you can handle the fact that it is an independent, and you want a fun popcorn movie set in the old west that tries something new and exciting for a change and isn't your run of the mill story seen 1,000,000 times (ahem, Forsaken, Jane Got a Gun, blah blah), this is well worth your time. You won't be disappointed.

Like playing Russian Roulette, lots of random misfires, but there's bound to be unexpected hit before things get bloody.

[quincytheodore · 6/10 · 2 March 2016]

Western theme has seen romanticized story of colorful men striving for a common goal, "Kill or Be Killed" might look like such movie on the surface, but it's far from a romancing tale. It can be as silly as schemes from Looney Tunes, then it turns completely in reverse with murder and rape. It's borderline thriller yet with sprinkle of crazy comedy, which is strangely alluring in its odd way.

A group of outlaws is trying to recover their loot from previous heist. Along the way, they will meet incredibly arbitrary people with different ideologies and issues. These are no heroes by any stretch of imagination. In fact, nearly everyone, including the extras and supporting cast, are dysfunctional. The only thing that separates them is the level of severity.

The accents used are heavy, each character sounds differently, though some are speaking with highly exaggerated tone and some might be too overzealous in their delivery. It tries to emulate the gritty ambiance of wild west, only for a few characters to show up looking smooth and modern compared to the others. However, one can't fault it for being predictable as it delivers twists and turns by every horse's gallop.

Sometimes people would fall dead or go berserk at the drop of a hat. It would have light comedic moments then five minutes later it transforms into thriller grim gory tone. This jarring change translates to the action as well, guys would open fire in comical way, waving guns around while running, yet they would exchange gruesome homicide and attempted violation towards some girls.

This is a truly bizarre tale, but there's inevitable draw of the unexpected. If peculiarity is your treasure, you'll find an abundance of it here.

The Bells, The Bells

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 12 April 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness - from the Dallas International Film Festival 2015. Co-writers and co-directors Duane Graves (from San Antonio) and Justin Meeks manage to hit all extremes with comedy, violence and drama as they trek across some of the roughest Texas terrain. Tongue-in-cheek westerns are rare, and this one never falls into true parody, but instead uses hyper-dramatic music and dialogue delivery to balance the gun play and hardened outlaw activities.

Mr. Meeks also stars as Claude "Sweet Tooth" Barbee, who is leading his band of outlaws across Texas in an attempt to re-claim the gold from a previously botched train robbery. The character name is from a real life outlaw and the actions are loosely based on real life train robber Sam Bass. Meeks is clearly having a ball playing the type of colorful bad guy that actors dream about.

Screen veteran Pepe Serna has a brief but memorable role, and one that is crucial to story development. He too, seems to relish the chance to play a nasty guy. The rest of the cast, many of whom were present at the screening, all seem to have bought into the vision … whether their character is quickly filled with lead or manages to eke out a line or two or three. Every movie lover will quickly recognize the actor playing the Doc as Michael Berryman from The Hills Have Eyes (1972).

The ringing of a bell, a young ventriloquist, twins, prairie land nightmares, a hooker with an ulterior motive, and family revenge all play a role as this group of outlaws is hunted by more than just the Sheriff as they make their way to the coast. With unusual lines of dialogue such as "Shut that puppet up", and a misleading sign that reads "Lodgers Welcome", Graves and Meeks deliver an unusual look at the old west and those that inhabited this rugged land.

This ain't your Grand pappy's Western!!!

[jasony7152002 · 10/10 · 13 March 2016]

I have been waiting for this one for a while and it was worth the wait! I just found this on Redbox and watched it immediately. You gotta see this film out on video. From the guys who brought you, "The Wild Man of The Navidad," and "Butcher Boys," comes a new classic indie genre bender. I have loved everything Duane Graves and Justin Meeks have made since, "Wild Man" and I recommend this Horror film disguised as a Western complete with a 70's style soundtrack that gives it a bit of Tarantino flavor, while still being original. It has colorful characters, brutal action and gore, twists and turns, and generally keeps getting weirder as it goes on. You will not believe how it ends. I can't wait to see what these guys do next!

"My stench will soon rise from this here field..."

[redwingsm · 7/10 · 2 March 2016]

What we have here is a good old-fashioned Western riddled with the ringing bells of mystery. It seems a simple tale starting with a prison break heading towards a mound of ill-gotten gold. What it ends up being is a mysterious semi-horror bodyfest with Indie gold written all over it.

I'm not a fan of Westerns, with only a few exceptions. I watched this on the recommendation from a friend, and glad I did so. After the first 10 minutes I was worried I would grow bored with the movie and eventually turn it off. However, as I continued to watch I got sucked in deeper and deeper until there was no turning back.

This movie entertains throughout with rare a dull moment. The ending is quite a surprise that I'm betting not many of you will see coming. While it's not a perfect film, it is a great watch that any fan of the genre will appreciate. Good use of budget, good scenery, decent acting (for the most part) and a great story make "Kill or Be Killed" a movie worth watching, even for folks who may not be huge fans of Westerns.

Nice correspondence

[ludibrium · 7/10 · 21 March 2016]

This is a real nice western, if you can get past the fact that we'rent in the 2000's. Then you will do fine, i think its awesome they tried to enact actual gunslinger emotions rather than try out some transformer-"stuff".

I have to say, these guys are on a drama-level.I haven't heard about any of them but i have to say i was pretty impressed with their performances:).

i very much enjoyed the movie!

Hmpf. OK.

Im not gonna give you a poem!

Very Unique And Exciting Western!!!

[txrmi69 · 10/10 · 13 March 2016]

Made with Old School spaghetti westerns in mind, this film definitely took me on One Hell Of A Ride like no other I have ever seen!! From the very beginning, Kill Or Be Killed kept the anticipation levels very high and continued doing so through to the very end. From the very authentic "look and feel" of the old west, this film captured exactly what it set out to do and is a Must-See for any fan of classic westerns(Like Myself) who are looking for something with a Very Unusual, Dark and Unexpected Twist, which had me on the edge of my seat not knowing what to expect next...and it also included a nice touch of everything else in the process!! Great Movie...Highly Recommended!!!

I'LL WARM UP SOME SOUP

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 2 May 2018]

Back in Texas, post Civil War, a group of outlaws lead by Claude "Sweet Tooth" Barbee (Justin Meeks) spring a gang member and have designs to grab hidden gold in Galveston, about 500 miles away. Upon going there, the gang numbers increase as they leave a trail of blood. The film is about their journey...and then suddenly they realize someone is hunting them.

This was an interesting western using lines like, "put some space betwixt us." The opening credits had "Spaghetti Western" written all over it, but this was close to grindhouse with all the killing and blood. At times it seemed they were spoofing westerns. It does have some mild humor, and what the heck was that Dutch guy doing?

I wasn't able to figure out the killing until they explained it. One character was named Tom Nixon (Larry Grant Harbin) but as far as I can tell it was not supposed to be real life outlaw Tom Nixon.

The film is a blend of grindhouse and western and not a great film as a single genre, but entertaining if you try not to make it into something it is not. Doesn't require as much genre blending as "Gallowwalkers" to enjoy.

The producers claim the film takes place in 1900. "The Eyes of Texas" which was performed in this feature, was written in 1903.

Guide: No swearing. Brief sex, brief nudity.

An intriguing yarn

[phillawrence-32142 · 7/10 · 13 October 2017]

Don't understand the low rating for this movie. It kept my interest for the duration of the film. A liked the fact the main protagonist wasn't portrayed as some kind of anti hero or a Robin Hood type, good guy outlaw, although there are depths to which he won't go, I found his portrayal and the rest of the gang believable and not like the usual Hollywood cliche's you get. The only reason it didn't get a higher rating is that it kind of lost me with the ending, but that maybe my fault, I'll have to watch it again, it just didn't make sense to me, maybe I missed something. But as Western fan, you can't go far wrong with this, would certainly recommend.

An entirely new and unique hybrid in the world of cinema

[ersinkdotcom · 8/10 · 14 April 2015]

From the sick and twisted minds of two of the nicest and most down- to-Earth guys I've met in the film industry comes something bold and distinctive for the 21st century. "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" is what can only be referred to as a horror western. Equal parts 1980s slasher film and classic spaghetti western, you'd think the combination would be disastrous. I wholeheartedly assure you that it isn't. Instead, it makes for an inimitable viewing experience that leaves you wanting to revisit the movie and make sure you caught everything the first time around.

It's the autumn of 1900 in "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella." Outlaw Claude Barbee puts his "retirement plan" in action, attempting to lead his train-robbing gang across Texas to recover a cash stash hidden after a botched railroad heist. They soon discover they're being hunted by more than just the law - but rather a merciless, unexpected evil quite possibly greater than themselves.

When viewing "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella," it'll be hard to fathom the dedication and work it must've taken to shoot such a project in this day and age on the micro-budget of an independent film. The sprawling barren landscapes will leave you wondering where such areas still exist in the U.S. The realistic "Old West" settings make you ponder how they were built and put together to look so authentic.

Another amazing thing about "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" is how genuinely filthy and grimy everyone looks in the film. You really do believe you're looking at outlaws living in the west who haven't taken a shower in a week or so. The authenticity in the overall look of the movie is quite impressive.

The journey the outlaws embark on in "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" take them in the direction of many different misadventures. It puts them on a path in which they meet several very interesting characters played by familiar genre icons. Bill "Leatherface 2" Johnson from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" appears in a small and gory role. Edwin Neal, who played the Hitchhiker in the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," makes the most of his bloody brief appearance. Michael Berryman climbs out of the hills that have eyes to administer some painfully graphic medical help as a town doctor.

The script by Justin Meeks and Duane Graves unfolds slowly and methodically for "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella." If you're expecting the quick cuts, edits, and jumps of modern filmmaking, you'll not find that here. The sort of pacing you get with this is reminiscent of the slow-boiling complex tales put on celluloid in the 1970s.

Let's talk about the musical score for "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" for a moment. Yes, you did read that correctly. There is an actual score for a low-budget independent film that sounds like a million dollars (or more). Composer John Constant gives you exactly what you would expect in a spaghetti western… and I mean that as a compliment. There are also contemporary country twangs that reminded me of the "Young Guns" movies.

The movie just got picked up for distribution by Image Entertainment and hasn't been rated. I would give "Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" an R if it were put in my hands to do so. The movie contains nudity, sexuality, profanity, violence, gore, alcohol, smoking, and frightening and intense sequences. I'm not big on sexuality and nudity in films and it really doesn't need to be in here. The two sequences I can think of right offhand easily could be taken out, opening it up to a broader audience who might not watch films which include those types of scenes. Editing them out of the film won't cause people NOT to see the movie, but it might cause others TO watch it.

"Red on Yella, Kill a Fella" is an entirely new and unique hybrid in the world of cinema. Although movies like Wesley Snipes' "Gallowwalkers" and DC Comics' "Jonah Hex" have attempted to dabble in mixing horror and supernatural elements in to their western settings, Writer / Director Team Justin Meeks and Duane Graves make the blending feel natural. I didn't even realize I was watching a slasher movie until about three quarters of the way through it. Just imagine a sprawling western epic in the grand tradition of John Ford and Sergio Leone if an enigmatic and sinister stalker were following the anti-heroes on their excursion. You get an idea of what to expect when climbing into the saddle for this thrill ride.

Not boring

[non_sportcardandy · 6/10 · 3 July 2018]

Hardly watch any modern day movies so can't compare it to similar current releases . Although more vulgar , bloody , cruel than a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western they both probably are closer to b s than reality. The viewer may consider this film weird / strange but they won't fall asleep on it , that's why I gave it a 6 which may be slightly generous. A few minor notes ; actors may be hard to understand sometime while they try ( evidently ) real hard to sound like old west , uncouth , vulgar persons with a Southern drawl.....much attention is given to the outlaws having a dirty,grubby ( filthy ?) look which was in contrast to the clean look of the uniforms of the laboring prisoners making a break. In the same scene a guy has on a pair of long johns snow white clean , unusual for this movie .......The bad guys in this movie are a threat to mankind.

Weird movie but will keep ya guessin

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 30 July 2016]

I saw this without reading the reviews or watchin the trailer. The best part bout this movie is the scenery/cinematography n music. The direction was OK, with decent acting by all. Editin needed more attention. So many things not explained properly. The dialogues were good. Some good new words i came across. This movie cud hav been much better. Very few western genre movies were successful at blending horror n western together. Don't expect Bone tomahawk n The burrowers as these 2 were excellent flicks. Fans of horror films will recognise Michael Berryman, in the midst of all unfamiliar faces. The story was confusing with many flaws. Most of the kills were offscreen.

This is NOT your familiar, benign Western.

[countrytime99 · 8/10 · 15 March 2016]

The best way to approach this movie is to ask yourself the following questions: "Do I like independent, lower budget movies?" "Do I like movies that have no major A-list stars?" "Do I like violent spaghetti Western movies?" "Do I like movies that try something NEW?" If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you will likely enjoy this film as much as I did. If you want a sterile, familiar, typical plot line like in FORSAKEN or DIABLO, then this is most likely NOT the movie for you. That's what great independent movies do. They offer an alternative to the spoon fed Hollywood crap. This is not McDonald's, it's a mom/pop restaurant that you have to look up on Yelp to even find. KILL OR BE KILLED has a nasty, bloody side that it is NOT scared to show you. The main characters are bad people, and it gets darker and darker as it goes further into the story. I was throughly entertained by all the elements and will recommend this one to anyone who answers "yes" the the above questions. Have fun. CT

"Now you thinking like an outlaw."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 28 July 2017]

Despite it's flaws, I had a pretty good time watching this Western flick. The main problem, if I had to point to one, was the presence of characters that had no introduction, had some meaningful impact on the story, and then disappeared without a trace. The demon Indian with the electrically charged eyes was just such a character; if I had to guess, and I do, he's identified in the cast list as 'Ghastly Monstrosity'.

A couple others were the 'twin' boys, one of which was killed by Claude 'Sweet Tooth' Barbee (Justin Meeks), the other sending Barbee to his eventual demise. Who were they? What was their motivation? It would seem that one of the boys, the one that was shot by Barbee, was 'marking' the outlaws for tracking by either that Indian or the unnamed bounty hunter. At least one could figure out what the bounty hunter was up to by the end of the movie.

So in the tradition of some of your noteworthy slasher films, the core group of six bad guys all fall one by one at the hands of various forces as they intend to retrieve a fortune in gold stashed by one of the men following an earlier robbery that went bad. The nominal head of the Nixon gang (Larry Grant Harbin) was the first to go; presumably he died in his sleep as a result of natural causes, though others who had their dreams interrupted often wound up with body parts cut up. The whittling down of the outlaw gang pretty much went ahead by formula, with new gang leader Claude and sidekick Slap Jack Davis (Paul McCarthy-Boyington) just about making it to the end of the picture.

Keeping the film at it's minimalist roots was one of the better things about the movie. Cinematography was decent, and even though the acting was sub-par in spots, most of the characters held up their end. For all the question marks about the characters in pursuit of the Nixon Gang, I thought the resolution with Claude sharing his ultimate grave with hooker Pearl (Arianne Martin) a distinctly creative touch. Though the pop-gun sound effects of the gunfire managed to bother me somewhat, this was one of the few Westerns that accurately depicted the lack of shooting accuracy for the era, as hand guns weren't very reliable for more than twenty feet or so. Which went a long way to explain how opponents shooting at each other in an open field without cover often managed to remain standing and unharmed.

Super pleasant surprise

[hoeyec · 7/10 · 3 September 2023]

I watched it without expecting much, and was drawn into right away. A lot of modern westerns are pretty forgettable, really, and very few bring anything new to the genre. KILL OR BE KILLED is different, it's got style, it's violent, it's funny, it's dark, and it keeps you watching. A lot of the acting might be the weakest aspect initially, but it is easy to overlook once you get into it. The characters are likable, even though they are scummy, and the filmmakers do a decent job capturing a spirit of the old west that is believable enough, and still injects a quirky and unique edge... It's got Edwin Neal and Michael Berryman in bit parts too, which I love to see.

Totally New Meaning To A Good Ol' "Spaghetti Western"!

[bettyboop-38845 · 10/10 · 15 March 2016]

After seeing this Independent, unusual Film, I was taken back in just how well it was all put together. It had me fully entertained from beginning to the End! I recommend seeing it, to actually believe how truly "Magnificent" and different it is from others I have seen. It had me squirming, as well as Laughing, and just when I thought it couldn't possibly be any more hair raising, it really surprised me and blew me away! This puts a totally new meaning to the old "Spaghetti Westerns", which even as a Child, I could relate to. For I have watched plenty of them, with my Dad, and he would have Loved this one! God rest his soul. So, for those who haven't seen it, Check it out. I doubt you'll be disappointed!