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By the time Zazie Beetz and Myha’la arrived in Austin for the world premiere of They Will Kill You, the energy around the film had reached a fever pitch. Kirill Sokolov’s latest project is a blood-soaked, fast-moving story set inside a luxury New York high-rise where something is clearly wrong.

The film centers on Asia and Maria (played by Beetz and Myaha’la, respectively), two sisters who have been pulled apart by an unfortunate circumstance. Years after a violent break from their past, Asia finds her way into the Virgil, a sleek building with a reputation that doesn’t quite match its appearance. Maria works there, attempting to escape the vicissitudes of life. What unfolds inside the building is unexpected for most; it’s a blend between horror and action, with a dark, comedic twist.

Beetz carries much of the film’s physicality, and her preparation reflects how seriously she approached it. “I started off with boxing training—I trained with Michael Olajide Jr. in New York,” she said, describing how the role began to take shape. “We really wanted to get the movement of the character down so that she’d sort of learned this movement in jail essentially. So we wanted it to feel sort of scrappy.” The film was shot in Cape Town, and stunt rehearsals pushed the actress’ performance to another level, especially as the choreography grew more complex. 

“We did conditioning every day, but then we would really sort of get in on the dance of the choreography and figuring out how Asia moves and wanting to lock in the fights as much as possible,” Beetz said. Support from the stunt team became essential, not just for safety, but for building confidence inside scenes that demanded constant motion. “Really having this very easy communication, and being able to be honest with them, was huge.”

At the heart of They Will Kill You is the relationship between the two sisters, and creating the connection didn’t require much effort once filming began. “It was super easy—she’s like the nicest person ever,” Myha’la said of Beetz. “I just wanted to spend time with her, because she’s really easy to be with and be around. She’s a very easy person to love.” Their off-screen dynamic carried directly into their performances, making the film both action-packed, and also heartbreaking at times.

In addition to its stars, the movie features a cast of award-winning veterans. Patricia Arquette, who plays the building’s enigmatic leader, was drawn in by the unpredictability in the script. “I thought it was fresh and interesting, but could go wrong,” she said. Watching Sokolov’s earlier work gave her confidence in his control behind the camera, and casting Beetz sealed her decision to sign on. “I was such a huge fan of [Zazie] already. I was like, ‘She’s going to kill this part.’”

Heather Graham saw something similar from a different angle, responding to the film’s mix of humor and commentary. “I just thought, ‘wow, I have never read anything like this before,’” she said. “It was so unique. It was so original.” Action played a part in the appeal as well, especially in scenes that allowed her to move physically within the story. “I like a girl on girl fight. Why not?”

Physical commitment shows up on screen, but the conditions behind it were far from comfortable. Much of the film places Beetz and Myha’la in close contact with blood effects, prosthetics, and crazy surfaces. “It is literally disgusting,” she said, laughing at the memory. “The blood is usually sugar syrup based, so it’s very sticky.” Myha’la’s experience came from a different place. Her role as Maria is based on fear and uncertainty, as viewers come to realize as the film progresses. “I don’t love blood. I don’t love gore. I don’t like body parts not attached to the body,” she said. But, repetition changed how the substance felt over time, translating into powerful performances from the entire cast.

Working alongside Beetz has left a lasting impression on Myha’la, especially watching how she approached the role day after day. Physical demands could have slowed the process, but they didn’t.

“I was so impressed and inspired by her commitment to getting it right, no matter how hard it was,” Myha’la said. “I really commend her for that, and I hope that if I ever get the opportunity to do something like this, that I have the same ferocity that she does.”

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