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WΔZ
WΔZ
	British theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tom Shankland
Written by	Clive Bradley
Produced by	Allan Niblo; James Richardson
Starring	Stellan Skarsgård; Melissa George; Selma Blair; Tom Hardy; Ashley Walters;
Cinematography	Morten Søborg
Edited by	Tim Murrell
Music by	David Julyan
Distributed by	Vertigo Films
Release dates	30 July 2007 (Stuttgart Fantasy Filmfest Nights); 22 February 2008 (United Kingdom);
Running time	104 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£5 million; ($10 million)

WΔZ (pronounced double-u delta zed), is a 2007 British crime horror thriller film directed by Tom Shankland, written by Clive Bradley, and starring Stellan Skarsgård, Melissa George, Selma Blair, and Tom Hardy. The film was released in the United States with the title The Killing Gene.^[1]

Plot

Set against the backdrop of a dark and rain-soaked New York, "WΔZ" follows the investigative efforts of Detective Eddie Argo (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård) and his newly assigned partner Helen Westcott (played by Melissa George). Together, they embark on a journey to solve a series of gruesome murders that have gripped the city.^[1]

The modus operandi of the perpetrator involves carving the Price equation (wΔz = Cov (w,z) = βwzVz) onto the chests of each victim, presenting a cryptic puzzle for the detectives to unravel. As Eddie Argo and Helen Westcott delve into the intricacies of this enigmatic equation, a chilling revelation emerges – each victim is confronted with a moral dilemma, a choice between committing a heinous act by killing their loved ones or facing their own demise.^[2]

The detectives soon discern that the perpetrator (played by Selma Blair), driven by a profound personal tragedy, is grappling with a similar predicament. The motive behind the murders becomes an exploration of existential philosophy, as the perpetrator seeks to reconcile their own anguish by compelling others to confront the same ethical quandary.^[1]

Cast

Stellan Skarsgård as Eddie Argo
Melissa George as Helen Westcott
Selma Blair as Jean Lerner
Tom Hardy as Pierre Jackson
Ashley Walters as Daniel Leone
Paul Kaye as Gelb
Michael Wildman as O'Hare
Sally Hawkins as Elly Carpenter
Michael Liebman as Wesley Smith
John Sharian as Jack Corelli
Alibe Parsons as Miss Allaway
Sean Brian Chipango as Jamal Osman / Khaled Osman
Barbara Adair as Alice Jackson
Lauren Hood as Sharon Williams
Sheila Kerr as Alison Lerner
Joshua O'Gorman as Dominic Carpenter
Robert Phillips as Captain Maclean
Marcus Valentine as Hassan Harbi
Peter Ballance as Trucker
Igor Smiljevic as SWAT leader
Larry Cowan as Junkie
Laurence Doherty as NY Detective
Roy McManus as Paramedic

Release and reception

The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 71% based on reviews from 14 critics.^[3]

CHUD.com wrote of the film, "Director Tom Shankland paints a grimy portrait that fits well with the Clive Bradley script. It is a great debut for both filmmakers who created a movie that works on almost every level."^[4]

DVD Talk wrote, "But let's not kid ourselves: This is a nasty horror thriller that has a Class of 1984 feel to it, although it has the most in common with the Saw series (even the line "Oh yes, there will be blood!" is morphed into "But there will be pain!"). It's not quite as outlandishly brutal, but it's still mean."^[5]

Fortean Times wrote, "While the plot twists rarely come as a surprise, the film's grimy feel and effective pacing, and a gripping – if occasionally rather over-exaggerated – central performance by Skarsgård, make this a genuinely thrilling venture into Se7en territory, despite the unfortunate silliness of the title."^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Jason Buchanan (2012). "The Killing Gene overview". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
^ ^a ^b "The Killing Gene". film reviews. Forteantimes.com.
^ "Waz - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
^ "The Killing Gene unrated". DVD review. Chud.com.
^ "The Killing Gene unrated". DVD review. DVD Talk.