Kill It and Leave This Town () is a 2020 Polish adult animated psychological horror film directed by Polish animator Mariusz Wilczyński, in his feature film debut, from a script developed alongside Agnieszka Ścibior.
The film concerns a hero, fleeing from despair after losing those dearest to him, who hides in a safe land of memories, where time stands still and all those dear to him are alive.
Voice cast Krystyna Janda as Janek's mother Andrzej Chyra as Janek's father Maja Ostaszewska as Janek Barbara Krafftówna as Mariusz's mother (old) Anna Dymna as Mariusz's mother (young) Gustaw Holoubek as Mariusz's alter ego
Production The film took fourteen years to animate. Wilczyński had originally intended Kill It and Leave This Town to be a short film, however eventually ended up deciding to make it his feature debut.Kruk, Adam. Byty i niebyty – Recenzja filmu Zabij to i wyjedź z tego miasta (2019). FilmWeb.pl. (in Polish). Retrieved 5 April 2021. The film was made for Wilczyński to symbolically say goodbye to his family who had died. At the film's premiere at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, Wilczyński said "In a short time, people who were important to me passed away. I did not have time to say goodbye to them, I do it with my animation." He also added; "I don't believe in death, they didn't die, but they live in my imagination."Demski, Mateusz (9 November 2020) Zabij to i wyjedź z tego miasta. Ekrany. (in Polish). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
Release The film premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival on 22 February 2020, and was delayed from theatrical releases due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema. It was released in theatres in Poland on 5 March 2021, and grossed $183,771.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics,Bradshaw, Peter (22 February 2020) Kill It and Leave This Town review - gaunt beauty amid the smoky smudge of memory. The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2021.Kiang, Jessica (9 March 2020) ‘Kill It and Leave This Town’: Film Review. Variety. Retrieved 5 April 2021. and received several accolades. Kill It and Leave This Town has an approval rating of 93% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews, and an average rating of 7.6/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 69 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".Kill It and Leave This Town at Metacritic. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
Accolades
Award Category Recipient Result Ref(s) Ottawa International Animation Festival Best Feature Mariusz Wilczyński Ottawa International Animation Festival Announces 2020 Winners, 2 October 2020. Skywigly.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021. Polish Film Festival Golden Lions Awards Grynienko, Katarzyna (14 December 2020) FNE at Gdynia Polish Film Festival 2020: Prize Winners. Film New Europe. Retrieved 5 April 2021.Polish Film AwardsBest FilmBest DirectorBest ScreenplayBest Production DesignBest Film ScoreTadeusz NalepaBest SoundFranciszek KozłowskiDiscovery of the YearMariusz Wilczyński Viennale Fipresci Prize Viennale Blog: Prize Winners 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021. Grande Prémio Monstra Mariusz Wilczyński
References
External links Kill It and Leave This Town at the filmpolski.pl