Kill A Prophet, written and directed By Benjamin Ironside Koppin, is a thriller that attempts to immerse its audience into a slow-burn mystery that meticulously unwinds before finally revealing a twist at its conclusion. While secluded in a desert home with his ailing wife, Syd (Every Heart), Shaw (Edem Atsu-Swanzy) cares for her needs while tirelessly writing his post-apocalyptic novel. Shaw is repeatedly overwhelmed by disturbing visions, and the recurring urge to take his own life.
The film works to keep viewers intrigued by inter-cutting between Shaw’s present, caring for Syd as she recovers from her chemo treatment, and what appears to be a future event where he’s imprisoned in a manic state, having lost Syd to his captors, all while being recorded. Another interweaving thread is a series of moments that follow the journey of Shaw’s characters travel across a future wasteland as he creates them. These “fictional” events however are presented in unnerving fashion, haunting Shaw as visions rather than creations of his imagination, each seemingly trying to reveal a truth we don’t yet understand.
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“…Shaw is repeatedly overwhelmed by disturbing visions and the urge to take his own life…”
Unfortunately, the execution of these threads in Kill A Prophet isn’t as effective as intended. The questions born out of these sequences pile up over time but don’t offer any morsels of information to satisfy our curiosity throughout the film. This issue makes these inter-cut scenes appear to be going nowhere and after some time, curiosity about the events shifts into being bored with them. The film is structured to be a slow-burn exploration but it takes too long to reveal significant details in any meaningful way. It’s not until the third act that the plot jumps into high gear when an intruder, Grant (Samuel Charles), breaks into the couple’s home with frenzied intentions and holds them hostage, threatening them with a bomb strapped to his vest.
Shockingly, Grant knows what’s been happening inside Shaw’s mind and what his novel could be foretelling about the future of the real world. All this leads to the climax of the film where Grant provides the answers as to what is causing Shaw’s suicidal urges, the recordings of his captivity, and the characters of his novel all stand for and what it tells us about Shaw’s destiny.
The performances by the cast aren’t particularly noteworthy, however I credit Atsu-Swanzy and Heart for making the quiet moments of their characters’ relationship sentimental and enjoyable. The couple has good chemistry, and Atsu-Swanzy provides Shaw depth to his sorrow for Heart’s portrayal of a recovering cancer patient. The dynamic of their relationship and Syd’s recovery are by far the best inclusions in the film and outshine the more prominent elements. Their relationship, however, isn’t enough to make this slow ride worth taking.
Kill A Prophet is an un-fun slog to get through, though intended to stick the landing with a fascinating twist ending. It misses that mark due to a weak foundation of dry performances and uninspired writing. The concept alone isn’t enough to make this thriller thrilling.
"…misses the mark due to a weak foundation of dry performances"
