Director: John Krokidas
Screenplay: John Krokidas, Austin Bunn
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Ben Foster
Runtime: 100 minutes
Rating: 18A
Director John Krokidas makes his feature debut with the alluring Kill Your Darlings, a film whose cast encompasses a group of incredibly talented young actors portraying some of the most iconic figures in American literature. For connoisseurs of said literature and fans of the Beat Poets, this movie is a real treat, as it offers richly satisfying insight into the lives and relationships between the young poets and their muse, Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan). For those unfamiliar with the story, it is equally absorbing, as Krokidas manages to create an intense yet often fun atmosphere that builds up to a climatic turn of events that still remain a source of mystery and fascination for many.
Starring Daniel Radcliffe as young poet Allen Ginsberg, the film chronicles his journey as he attends Columbia University and meets the enigmatic Lucien Carr, with whom he becomes deeply infatuated. Lucien introduces Allen to a new way of thinking that includes leaving behind the traditional conventions of literature that they are taught in school and breaking the mould into something Allen calls “The New Vision”. It is also through Lucien that Allen meets William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, who share a similar ideology. The young poets regard Lucien as a source of inspiration, and together they explore their vision by using drugs, frequenting jazz bars, and rebelling against the conventions of their education.
Although Lucien initially appears fascinating and exciting though the eyes of young Allen, it quickly becomes obvious that Lucien is harboring a deeply troubled past that includes his mysterious friend David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall). Hall is flawless in his portrayal of the overbearing and obsessive companion of Lucien. The relationship between the two as seen through the eyes of Allen intensifies, and ultimately culminates into the murder that shocked Columbia University and impacted the lives of the Beat Poets in ways they will never forget.
Besides beautiful cinematography and a strong script, it is the young and talented cast that stands out most within this film as they bring these iconic figures to life. Radcliffe shows us his versatility as an actor, leaving his Harry Potter days behind him and maturing with each film he takes on. Alongside Radcliffe, DeHaan’s intensity and seductive charm playing Lucien Carr definitely makes him one to watch in the future, and Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston captures Kerouac’s confidence while giving his character an easy-going personality that lightens some of the intensity that is ever-present.
Kill Your Darlings allows us as spectators a chance to peer into the formative years of some of the most talented and admired American writers in history, in a way that is as intimate as it is riveting. If you don’t know anything about the story before you see this film, you can be sure that you will leave the theatre eager to learn more about it.
Photo Credits: Toronto International Film Festival
