Movies & TV / Columns

The Gratuitous B-Movie Column: Killers Within

May 27, 2019 | Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz

The Gratuitous B-Movie Column Issue #508: Killers Within

Hello, everyone, and welcome once again to the internets movie review column that has never been a part of a crew (a team, yes, but never a crew), The Gratuitous B-Movie Column, and I am your host Bryan Kristopowitz. In this issue, issue number five hundred and eight, I take a look at the badass Irish action horror flick Killers Within, which I first saw as part of the 2018 Scare-A-Con Film Festival back in late October, 2018, and which hit home video on January 1st, 2019.

Killers Within

Killers Within, written and directed by Paul Bushe and Brian O’Neill, is the kind of action horror flick that, every so often, comes out of seemingly nowhere and kicks so much ass that it’s amazing and sad that it isn’t a much bigger deal than it is. Featuring a terrific cast, some excellent action scenes, and terrifying monster villains, Killers Within is a movie that action movie nerds, horror movie nerds, and those of us who enjoy both, absolutely need to see. In fact, for me, Killers Within was one of the best movies I saw in 2018.

Killers Within stars Sue Walsh as Amanda Doyle, a badass female cop and doting mother of a young son (Kevin, as played by Cormac Melia). One day, while playing soccer with her son in a public park, a gang of Russian mobsters show up, beat the crap out of her, and kidnap Kevin. Amanda’s ex-husband and fellow cop Rick (Jeff Doyle), owes big money to the Russians, and they’ve decided to try to collect by taking Kevin. Now, neither Amanda or Rick have the kind of money the Russians are demanding, but Rick claims to have a plan to get it. With the help of his brother Sam (Sam Lucas Smith), Amanda’s brother Neville (Patrick Murphy) and foul mouthed war veteran Jack (Johnny Elliott), Rick wants to rob the Bank of Hibernia, a big deal Irish bank, by holding the bank manager and his family hostage and then forcing the manager to give up the money. See, the bank manager lives out in the country, out in the middle of nowhere, and with minimum security guarding the place, robbing the bank will be relatively easy, or at least that’s the thought. At first, Amanda is totally against the bank robbing scheme as it sounds far too dangerous. She’s a cop, Rick’s a cop, they’re not supposed to participate in crimes (Rick is a dirty cop, which is how he got in bed with the Russian mob). And, on top of that, Neville works for the bank and the bank manager they’re planning to rob. How the hell is that going to work out if and when the manager recognizes Neville? Jack and Rick and Neville insist that they’ve thought of everything, that their plan is a solid plan, and, really, how else are they going to come up with several hundred thousand euros to pay off the mobsters? Amanda eventually comes around to agreeing to participate in the robbery scheme because, well, there is no other way for her to get Kevin back. And that’s all she wants to do. She wants her son back.

So the robbery crew goes through with its plan and infiltrates the home of Philip (Andrew Murray), the big deal bank manager. Philip and his family (wife Sarah, played by Sinead O’Riordan, teen daughter Claire, as played by Saoirse Long, and young son Carl, as played by Tom Naughten) were just sitting down for dinner when Amanda and the crew entered their house, guns drawn. Philip immediately agrees to do whatever the robbers want, but proposes a change in their plan. Since it would be weird to show up at the bank late at night in a car that the security at the bank never see him in, Philip proposes that the robbers take him to the bank in his car, a posh two-seater. Jack doesn’t want to do it that way as the original plan had two robbers go with Philip to the bank. Taking Philip’s car means that only one can go now. Jack eventually comes around to the proposed plan change, and Rick goes solo with Philip to the bank to get the money.

Holy crap, this robbery plan might actually work! As Rick and Philip head to the bank, the other robbers watch Philip’s family (Sarah and Claire have had their hands strap tied so they’re easier to control. Amanda convinces Jack not to strap tie Carl’s hands as he’s just a kid). Claire tries to start shit with the robbers, as she’s upset that she has to miss a big social engagement because of this robbery. Jack basically tells her to shut the hell up and Sam is sort of smitten with her (he can’t stop looking at Claire’s legs). Carl then complains about having to use the bathroom. After a bit of arguing amongst the crew, Neville agrees to take the kid to the bathroom. How hard can it be? Carl is a little kid.

So Neville takes Carl to the bathroom, and suddenly weird stuff starts happening. Carl disappears. Neville disappears, too. Where the hell did they go? Are there other people in the house? What the hell is going on? Amanda and Jack go looking for Carl, bringing Sarah along with them because Carl will likely respond better to seeing his mother than a masked robber with a gun. The search for Carl and Neville ends when Amanda and Jack find Neville’s dead body in the bathroom (basically, Neville’s throat is missing) and Carl is revealed to be Neville’s killer?

Carl killed Neville? How the hell can a little kid kill a grown man like Neville, a big guy with a gun?

Carl isn’t just a little kid. Sarah isn’t just the wife of a rich man. Philip’s family isn’t what they seem.

Philip’s family are monsters. Real deal monsters.

Now, Rick doesn’t know what the hell is going on back at the house when he starts back with Philip and the money from the bank. Rick knows something is up, but due to bad cell phone reception out in the middle of nowhere he doesn’t know what, specifically, is going on. Rick knows he has to get back to the house. Before he can actually do that, though, Philip reveals his true self to Rick and causes a massive car accident.

Back at the house, Sam falls for Claire and makes out with her while Amanda and Jack figure out what to do next. They need to get out of the house and they need to contact Rick. How are they going to do that, though? And what are they going to do if they run into Sarah or Carl again? Just what the hell is going on here? And, Jesus Christ, was that a chunk of human flesh in that bowl?

I won’t say any more about the plot as the movie does feature a nice twist in terms of what the monsters actually are. I don’t think these particular monsters have appeared in any movie that I’m aware of, which is surprising considering how often these monsters appear in various modern conspiracy theories. You’d think there would be a whole series of movies about these kinds of monsters.

I was surprised by the amount of action in the movie. Killers Within isn’t a John Wick sequel, but it has way more gun play and hand-to-hand action than you would normally see in a movie like it. It’s also rare to see explosions in any sort of low budget horror movie. Killers Within has two of them, and while they might be CGI/mostly CGI (I could be wrong about that but that’s what they look like to me) they look damn good. Heck, I’ve seen full on, straight up action movies that don’t have the kind of explosions that Killers Within has. That’s awesome.

The special effects make-up is excellent. From the monster make-up to the gore effects, it’s all top notch looking and, at times, gross. There’s an underground cave sequence where we see piles of dead and rotting human bodies that will make you stay away from extra cheese pizza and or chunky chicken soup for a few days. The bloody throat scenes are also quite nasty.

I also want to single out Jerome Leroy for the movie’s score. It’s a subtle score, but it helps ratchet up the tension, and that’s what you need for this kind of movie. The cinematography by Phillip Graham is also quite good. Crisp and clear when the sequence calls for it, dark and moody when things need to be scary.

The cast is amazing. Sue Walsh does a great job as the conflicted mother and cop Amanda. She’s got serious issues with this robbery scheme, but she also wants her son back and Rick and Jack’s scheme is the only one that might work. I’m also a big fan of how she won’t go after Carl even when she knows what he is. Amanda will take on Sarah, sure, if it comes to that, but she can’t take out Carl. Carl is just a kid, even if he is a monster. Amanda is also a total badass. Her final scene shows you everything you need to know about who she is.

Jeff Doyle does a fine job as Rick, Amanda’s ex-husband. He’s kind of a douchebag, but at the same time you feel for his predicament. Yes, he is a dirty cop, but his son shouldn’t have to pay for his father’s fucking stupidity. His scene in the bar with Andrew Murray is his best work in the movie.

Johnny Elliott is so goddamn awesome as the foul mouthed asshole war vet Jack. He’s got a brutal streak in him, no question about it, but he’s also hilarious and exactly the kind of guy you want watching your back in the event you run into monsters. Jack is the one that supplies the robbery crew with guns and bullet proof vests and everything else (he had all of the stuff in his attic, next to his comic books). What the hell kind of life did he live after he got out of the service? Man, I bet that would be a kickass prequel.

Andrew Murray is a top notch villain as Philip. He seems somewhat harmless at first, a devoted family man just looking to get through his day so he can relax. He’s got issues with his teen daughter (the girl just won’t listen) and he probably has daily, low level arguments with his wife Sarah because that’s what married couples do. However, Philip isn’t harmless, and when you find out what he really is, Murray changes the way he delivers his lines and, holy crap, the man is chilling. He’s arrogant, he’s awful, and he needs to be stopped. His scene in the bar with Jeff Doyle is amazing.

Saorise Long is creepy as hell as Claire, Philip’s teen daughter. At first, you think she’s just some smart ass teen who thinks that because her father is wealthy and important she can do whatever (and say whatever) she wants. But then, just like with Andrew Murray’s Philip, when you find out what she really is Claire becomes terrifying. Sam sure finds out quickly that Claire isn’t a hot piece of ass. She’s something else entirely.

Sinead O’Riordan does a decent job as Sarah, Philip’s wife, but she isn’t given much to do compared to Philip or Claire. She’s terrifying, yes, but she isn’t as nasty as she could have been (or, perhaps, should be). Tom Naughten as Carl is scarier than Sarah. O’Riordan does a good job with what she’s given, though. She’s a damn good actress.

With the way Killers Within ends, a sequel seems inevitable. There are clearly more monsters out there, inflicting their will on people and the world at large, and it’s something I know I definitely want to see happen. I know how I would do the story (it would be a direct continuation of this movie and would feature two sets of monsters, one human and one not human at all, going after our heroes), but I’m sure Bushe and O’Neill have their own ideas. I hope we get a Killers Within 2 at some point in the near future.

Man, a Killers Within 2 and a Jack prequel. Killers Within is the badass Irish action/horror franchise the world doesn’t know it needs. It all needs to happen.

See Killers Within. See it, see it, see it.

So what do we have here?

Dead bodies: 10 (I’m not counting the underground cave here)

Explosions: Several.

Nudity?: None.

Doobage: A drone shot, an annoying phone, kidnapping, child abuse, woman beating, face kicking, attempted knife to the throat, arguing, water drinking, car stealing, typical family bullshit, leftovers, a not very sexy bath scene, a gigantic dining room table, deliberate menacing, yelling, loud screaming, a seriously ripped out throat, seducing an idiot, sex, a hellacious car accident, bullet to the chest, neck biting, choke slam, a pot filled with gross meat inside, multiple bags of money, piles of dead bodies under tarps, rotting bodies, serious barfing, guns, shotgun hooey, machine gun hooey, exploding truck, bar shit, interspecies sex, knife fight hooey, shotgun blast to the head, a bar fight, glass bottle to the head, flashlight attack, serious gutting, bloody hand removal, decapitation, a shocking admission, neck breaking, serious vehicular assault, a 2-on-1 hand-to-hand brawl, leg scissor, power bomb, throat slitting, caribou, a massive fire, exploding van, and a scary mid-credits sequence.

Kim Richards?: Almost.

Gratuitous: Soccer in a park, peace keeping mission resentment, guns in the attic, driving on the left side of the road, “It’s as true as it needs to be,” zip tie bondage, using a cellphone while driving, clearly driving too fast on a narrow road in the middle of the night when it’s dark as fuck and there are no street lights, monsters, C4, shotgun hooey, machine gun hooey, interspecies sex, and a phone call.

Best lines: “Mommy, your phone is ringing!,” “What did you do?,” “I did it for us! So we could have a better life! Enough!,” “What’s that? That’s our plan,” “So what is this fucking plan, then?,” “I don’t want money! I want my fucking son back!,” “Where’s Alanis Morissette when you need her?,” “You’re getting your little brother to steal cars?,” “How was school? It was good. We learned about World War II,” “What are you wearing?,” “You get to pick the boy, I get to pick the dress,” “Nobody move! And drop the butter knife!,” “Is that really necessary? Yes, it is, asshole,” “So, what’s for dinner? You wouldn’t like it,” “You stink of cheap deodorant, so you must be the youngest of the bunch. What are you, sixteen?,” “Relax. Everything is going to plan,” “Will you sit the fuck down?,” “Don’t make this any more complicated than it is,” “What was that all about?,” “We should stop here. This is crazy,” “I must confess, I recognized his stench as soon as he entered my home,” “Too much, foxy?,” “Oh, great! They’re fucking lizard people!,” “Fuck it, who am I to judge?,” “Headshots or go home. Even the kid,” “Choose human? Fuck me,” “Motherfucker!,” “I might be a cunt but I’m not a fucking cunt,” “Look a bit worse for wear, lad,” “What are you? You know, that’s a very fine whiskey you’re not drinking,” “My people have been around since the dawn of time,” “Fucking women, eh?,” “How the hell does my brother banging your daughter make things interesting for you?,” “Get of me you farmer prick!,” “You’re scared. Ready whenever you are, princess,” “Go get your boy. Finish the mission,” “You killed my family. You killed mine first!,” “And you think we’re monsters,” and “We’re done now, yeah? Maybe, maybe not. Trust me, we’re fucking done.”

Rating: 10.0/10.0

The Gratuitous B-Movie Column: The Facebook Page!

Please check out and “like” The Gratuitous B-Movie Column Facebook page, which is here.

The Gratuitous B-Movie Column Facebook page! Yeah!

Things to Watch Out For

–High on the Hog: The great Sid Haig, the terrific Joe Estevez, and the immortal Maniac Cop hisself, Robert Z’Dar star in this low budget horror pot comedy that, as I understand it, took around seven years to complete. According to this article over at Bloody Disgusting, High on the Hog started production back in 2012 and since then has gone through myriad issues. It almost seems like a miracle that this movie is finally getting a release (it did get a small theatrical release as it played at an indie theatre in Los Angeles). I know I want to see it, just to see how it turned out. Based on the trailer, I think it looks pretty good. And, heck, who wouldn’t want to see a movie that has Sid Haig, Joe Estevez, and Robert Z’Dar in it? Exactly. Everyone in the world would want to see that movie.

–Made Me Do It: I saw this well-made slasher flick at the 2017 Scare-A-Con Film Festival and generally liked it right up until the ending, which I thought was just nonsense. Still, this slasher flick is well worth tracking down and seeing just for its weirdness and Anna B. Shaffer’s performance, as she’s terrific in it. Anyone else out there see this at a film festival?

–Black Moon Rising: The fine folks at Kino Lorber Studio Classics are behind this Blu-ray of a classic action sci-fi flick from the 1980’s. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn, and Bubba Smith in a non-comedic role, plus featuring a story and screenplay from the John Carpenter, it’s all about Tommy Lee Jones being a badass, Robert Vaughn being a scumbag bad guy (he’s an old pro at that kind of thing), and that really ridiculous but still cool as hell super car called the Black Moon. This Blu-ray is chock full of special features, including a commentary track, an interview with director Harley Cokeliss, plus a bunch of other stuff. A definite must own, as far as I’m concerned. And, yeah, I need to see this movie again. It’s been years.

–The Hunted: This is that Christopher Lambert sort of ninja action flick that my action movie brother Caliber Winfield covered in his Man Movie Encyclopedia column back here. It’s a great action flick, and it’s awesome that the fine folks at Shout! Factory are putting out a special features laden Blu-ray almost twenty-five years after its release. The Blu-ray will have a director’s commentary on it from J.F. Lawton, a workprint version of the movie with extended, alternate, and deleted scenes, and behind the scenes footage. How cool is all that? I think we’re all going to have to get this Blu-ray.

Check out my Widow’s Point set visit report!

Read it here!

Next Issue: The all-star action horror flick Death House!

Most Recent Interviews

Steve Latshaw
Rick Hurst
Douglas Burke
Jeff Farley
Fred “The Hammer” Williamson
Nico Sentner
Everett Ray Aponte
Max Martini
Tom Huckabee
Jason Kellerman
David Tarleton
Roxy Shih
Jesse V. Johnson

Follow me on Twitter!

Well, I think that’ll be about it for now. Don’t forget to sign up with disqus if you want to comment on this article and any other 411 article. You know you want to, so just go do it.

B-movies rule. Always remember that.

Killers Within

Sue Walsh– Amanda
Jeff Doyle– Rick
Johnny Elliott– Jack
Andrew Murray– Philip
Sam Lucas Smith– Sam
Saoirse Long– Claire
Sinead O’Riordan– Sarah
Patrick Murphy– Neville
Tom Naughten– Carl
Cormac Melia– Kevin