A Harry Potter star fulfills his wish of his new horror movie topping HBO Max's charts.
Ever since the movies in the Wizarding World ended in 2011, many stars like Daniel Radcliffe have moved on to new projects, while Hermione Granger's Emma Watson has seemingly taken an acting hiatus. Among the most active actors from the magical franchise is Tom Felton, who reprised his role of Draco Malfoy in Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. While he will continue to portray the iconic Slytherin until November 2026, he took on another villain role in a new horror comedy, They Will Kill You.
Zazie Beetz leads the new movie, in which her protagonist, Asia Reaves, ends up in a hotel to find her missing sister while disguised as a housekeeper. However, the twist is that the building is not what it seems, but her experience as an ex-convict prepares her for a bloodbath.
Now, in just a day, They Will Kill You is officially the No. 1 movie on HBO Max's top 10 charts, ranking ahead of Earth, Wind & Fire, Contagion, The Bride!, and Tomb Raider. The streamer's United States charts also include A History of Violence, Ready Player One, The Rock, and Rampage to round out the list.
They Will Kill Us earned mixed-to-positive reviews, with praise for Beetz's leading performance and the action-packed, brutal fights. The high-octane action has been compared to the John Wick franchise and Quentin Tarantino's stylized violence. Unfortunately, it failed to make an impact at the box office. With a $20 million budget, the horror comedy became a flop with just a $19 million total.
Thus, the streaming success is a huge redemption for They Will Kill You, which is finding new audiences watching at home. A few factors could have contributed to its newfound triumph. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score was much higher at 77%, so word-of-mouth may have encouraged new viewers. Felton's popularity also likely had a role in attracting Harry Potter fans, who follow the stars' new projects. His upcoming projects include the historical action film, As Deep as the Grave.
However, the timing of the streaming release comes as low-budget horrors, such as Obsession and Backrooms, are finding incredible commercial success in theaters. They Will Kill You is a very good substitute for audiences craving more original horror content.
Alongside Beetz and Felton, the ensemble cast also includes Myha'la, Paterson Joseph, Heather Graham, and Oscar-winning actor Patricia Arquette. While Kirill Sokolov directed They Will Kill You, he co-wrote the story with Alex Litvak.
They Will Kill Us is now streaming on HBO Max.
