Kill Your Friends + Author Q&A with Caitlin Moran ★★★★★

It was only a matter of time before Kill Your Friends, John Niven's infamous novel about the A&R industry in Britain during the 90's, was turned into a film. The tale of Steven Stelfox, a talent scout desperate to save his dwindling career, is a gruesome mix of Trainspotting, Wolf of Wall street and American Psycho. And for all the grotesque and visceral qualities of the book, it's also very funny.

Now the film, Kill Your Friends, starring Nicholas Hoult, Colin Roberts and James Corden, has come to British screens.



The cast is well chosen. Nicholas Hoult – About A Boy's childhood star who went on to make it big in Channel 4's cult series, Skins, is completely at ease in the psychopathic lead. Confident, charming and ever creepier, Hoult leads the audience down his rabbit hole of debauchery, handling the character's murderous traits with good humour and keeping the audience on side throughout.

Colin Roberts, too, provides a humorous sidekick and Edward Hogg – the suspicious detective willing to compromise his integrity for a record deal – inspires some pity through his misguided dreams of stardom.

Yet unlike Stelfox, there’s a note of timidness in this film, of not wanting to push too far the boundaries beyond decency. Or perhaps it’s more simply a lack of imagination: the characters don't feel fully developed, the violence is mundane, the scenes of drug-taking are uninspired, and in general, Owen Harris’ film feels too neatly packaged to communicate fully the supposed chaos of the events depicted. As such, Kill Your Friends quickly fades from memory.

In all, a perfectly entertaining film that won’t leave you with much other than the desire to buy a 'best of the 90's' album.

Special Q&A Event

On 3 November there will be a one-off screening of Kill Your Friends and authour Q&A hosted by Caitlin Moran at Curzon Soho, at 6:20pm. Click here to book tickets.