Heather Graham’s Disembodied Eyeball Stole the Show at SXSW

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I just saw both They Will Kill You and Ready or Not 2, and honestly, the stories are surprisingly similar! Both films follow two sisters who haven’t been close in a while, and they’re suddenly thrown into this terrifying night where they have to battle a group of wealthy people involved in a sinister cult. It’s a fight for survival, as these rich folks are determined to sacrifice them. What’s even more interesting is that they premiered almost back-to-back at SXSW – Ready or Not 2 came out on March 20th, and They Will Kill You followed just a week later on March 27th.

What sets They Will Kill You apart? The main characters are Black women, played by Zazie Beetz and Myha’la, a change from the blonde leads in the original. Instead of becoming part of the family through marriage, they’re tricked into working as maids. The wealthy villains aren’t trying to take over the world – they’re simply ruthless killers. And the film was directed by Russian filmmaker Kiril Sokolov, rather than the American group Radio Silence.

A key element of the upcoming Warner Bros. film, They Will Kill You, is that the wealthy antagonists are immortal. They’ve made a dark deal – a blood pact – allowing them to live forever in a lavish New York City skyscraper called The Virgil. However, this immortality comes at a terrible cost: they must sacrifice innocent people to maintain it.

And that’s how the disembodied eyeball of one Heather Graham became the runaway star of SXSW.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=NgJup7TJpTA

The movie centers around Asia, played by Beetz, a skilled fighter who honed her abilities in prison. She’s on a dangerous mission to find her younger sister, Marie, whom she left behind years ago, leading to intense samurai battles and thrilling chases through tight spaces. There’s also a bizarre subplot involving the eyeball of a wealthy character, played by Graham, which detaches from her body and acts as a surveillance device, tracking Asia’s movements – because these powerful women are seemingly immortal.

I was at the Q&A in Austin, and it was amazing! When the moderator came out, this huge, incredible animatronic eyeball followed him – it actually slithered onto the stage! He immediately named it Iris and said it was the best prop the Paramount Theatre had ever seen, and honestly, I completely agree. It was such a memorable moment and really added to the whole experience.

The large eyeball seemed to relish being the center of attention, much like Adrien Brody during a long acceptance speech, as the audience cheered and filmed it. The moderator playfully asked if it wanted a moment in the spotlight, and the eyeball enthusiastically agreed. It then slowly moved offstage, leaving a trail of red, stringy tissue behind it – a memorable image, like the feather that famously fell from Demi Moore’s dress at the Oscars.

During the question-and-answer session, director Solokov explained that he and co-writer Alex Litvak aimed to create a film that both celebrated classic horror movies like The Evil Dead and Rosemary’s Baby, and subverted the typical portrayal of helpless female characters. He also admitted he was curious to see just how far he could push the boundaries with Hollywood producers. He specifically enjoyed filming chaotic, wide-angle action scenes, and jokingly apologized to the actors for the physically demanding work, suggesting that a little hardship can actually be beneficial. Myha’la shared that Tom Felton, who plays a villain in the film, would often entertain the cast and crew with ukulele songs during breaks and after filming.

Solokov began by praising Beetz, calling her a powerful and unstoppable force, a ‘warrior goddess.’ He described her as someone who conquers challenges, a ‘queen of tears and pain,’ and the most impressive samurai he’d ever envisioned. He concluded by saying she deserves to be recognized among the greatest movie heroes.

At the SXSW premiere, most of the actors were watching the film for the very first time. Myha’la, new to action movies, admitted she wasn’t ready for how exciting it would be. “I had no idea it would be this good!” she exclaimed, praising the unpredictable plot, fantastic music, and incredible sound design. Even director Kirill’s descriptions couldn’t capture the feeling of watching it with an audience. Patricia Arquette, who plays a character at The Virgil, said it was only the second time she’d seen a film premiere with a live audience – the other being Boyhood – and called it an unforgettable experience.

When we left the theater, people dressed in cloaks and wearing the creepy pig masks from the movie were giving away keychains featuring Iris, the eyeball character. I took a few, and a friend of mine really liked one – even without knowing where it came from! His description of the keychain – “Good quality, squishy!” – actually summed up the movie pretty well.

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2026-03-19 04:09