By Mark Hockley
An ex-alcoholic woman is held captive in her car by a religious zealot serial killer, who murders those who fear him.
Setting the majority of a film within a vehicle was used to good effect by the recently released Locked. This inferior thriller adds flashbacks in an attempt to expand the narrative. Also, similar to Locked, the protagonist’s child motivates her fight for survival.
The horror on offer here is muted and superficial. The screenplay, a verbose affair, has Shannon (Augie Duke) having lengthy back and forths with the killer (Vince Lozano). There’s nothing insightful or original about these pseudo religious discourses. The idea that the murderer has to create fear in his victims could have been interesting, if better developed. Unfortunately, the story never uses the concept effectively.
It would be very easy to not care what happens, but while Lozano is a passable villain, it’s Augie Duke who gives this film any quality it might possess. Her character Shannon, a woman struggling with addiction and the fear of losing her son, is always credible and maintains audience sympathy. Without her performance, Thou Shalt Kill would be entirely forgettable.
More a drama than a horror movie, the flat direction and banal script means this never rises above the mediocre. However, this is a good showcase for Augie Duke and she will surely move on to better things.
Bloody Flicks 