80
Village Voice by Alan Scherstuhl
Here adolescent wanderlust, powered by the characters’ persistent and confused arousal, continually edges against comedy and terror. Scariest as an examination of what fascinates us, this debut feature will annoy and alienate many, but it’s the work of a dynamic new talent.
90
Variety by Dennis Harvey
Anita Rocha da Silveira’s arresting debut feature captures the queasy mix of desire and fear among kids who are sexually inexperienced, yet can think of little else. Pop kitsch, social satire, dreamy narrative unreliability and retro giallo-thriller vibes further flavor a movie at once bold and cryptic.
25
Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene
Anita Rocha da Silveira’s slasher-film plot is simply a tease, as there are no scares here, and the filmmaker’s attempt at genre hybridization never coheres conceptually.
90
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Like the teenage girls who monopolize its attention, Kill Me Please is moody, lovely, preening and libidinous.
60
The Hollywood Reporter by Jonathan Holland
There's a nicely rendered sense of aesthetics, whether it’s in the safe pastel shades which fill Bea’s bedroom and which contrast with the high, sharp tones of the fantasy scenes.
100
Los Angeles Times by Katie Walsh
Kill Me Please acknowledges the dark and riotous physical energy of teen girls in this tribute to slasher films and coming-of-age comedies that proves to be a new classic from first frame to last.
50
The Playlist by Kevin Jagernauth
Silveira sets herself up for a balance between realism and aesthetics that she can’t quite navigate.
83
IndieWire by Michael Nordine
Kill Me Please is as much a teen movie as it is a horror movie, vacillating between the genres in such a way that you’re reminded from one scene to another how similar the two really are.
75
The Film Stage by Michael Snydel
Kill Me Please is remarkably accomplished for a debut feature despite feeling a little bit muddled in terms of rhythms and especially its ending, which tips its hat a little bit too hard to art-horror ponderousness. Still, it’s a vibrant debut that demonstrates that Silveira has a strong talent for depicting adolescence and its attendant horrors.