Title: Kick On
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Nick Kozakis
Writer: Phillip Klimek
Runtime: 91 Minutes
Starring: Markella Kavenaugh, Nikolai Nikolaeff, Jacek Koman
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2026.
Like it or not, drugs of all kinds color all corners of life. Whether it is prescription medication used to heal the sick or performance enhancers to drive up one’s physical or sexual prowess, it is impossible to ignore how our bodies respond to various substances. None provide as much danger and excitement as party drugs do. The allure of the next high can be a powerful motivator and can lead people down dark paths from which they cannot return after taking them.
Eden (Markella Kavenaugh) and her friends know this, and it doesn’t stop them from pursuing their next score. Drawn to a friend of a friend’s kick back for the purpose of scoring some premium material, they find themselves in Ray’s (Nikolai Nikolaeff) place, a surprisingly upscale apartment at the top of an otherwise dilapidated complex. With ties to the Russian mob and a propensity to showboat, Ray convinces the group to party with him, and the young adults politely accept his request. When Eden stumbles upon enough cash to pay for her sister’s otherwise hopeless medical problems, she decides to sneak it out. A simple misunderstanding follows and leads to the group tied up and panicking in Ray’s bedroom while their fates are being discussed in the living room. Presented with a choice to accept their fates or fight back, they work together to escape the fortress.
A tense and stylish thriller, Kick On is the survival horror film that will sober up even the most prolific party animal.
Capturing the spirit of its title, Kick On kickstarts its drug-fueled action with a club fight that demonstrates an excellent sense of choreography and storytelling. Acting as a microcosm for how these friends operate through life, Kick On foreshadows the danger they are about to find themselves in and how much fight is in them, even when the odds are against them. Thrown out on the streets and licking their wounds at a greasy pizza joint, the party must go on no matter the cost. They are young, they are lively, and they have far too much fun to let their night end unceremoniously. It’s the lack of clarity from their booze-addled minds that lead them to risking their safety for a good time. It’s an excellent portrayal of their motivations without casting too many aspersions on them because their bad decisions drive the film.
Characterized by varying degrees of selfishness and self-awareness, the partiers are depicted with care, even if their actions don’t always follow the screaming audience’s hopes. From the moment they step into the imposing tower, each decision they collectively make raises the stakes. Zack’s (Nikita Chronis) insistence on fawning for their host, Eden’s choice to steal tens of thousands of dollars, and Lee’s (Kaitln Boyé) aloofness at the clearly rising danger and mitigation of other’s understandable feelings seal their fates. It’s only Drew’s (Ras-Samuel) voice of reason that pushes back, getting drowned out in the revelry until it’s too late. Once the violence takes hold, everyone crashes back to earth allowing for some nuance to shape them further.
Zack’s boldness allows the crew to make great strides in escape, Drew’s level-headedness helps them make plans, and Eden’s social awareness gives her plenty of ammunition to turn their captors against each other. Is it all enough? Kick On shapes its story through its lean, mean approach to violence, similar to indie darling, Green Room.
The violence is sharp, painful, and incredibly well-executed. Strong fight choreography and great practical gore effects make each blow feel personal and impactful, further cementing the film’s fast-paced, brutal approach to horror. The tension in unbearable and Kick On never lets up on its characters or audience, realistically upping the ante with each terrifying twist to the young adult’s night of chaos and loss. Tight, almost enclosed cinematography give Kick On this unshakable claustrophobic feeling that fuels the intimate nature of the violence. While guns are used liberally here, so are a variety of other creative and painful instruments. Mimicking the improvisational nature of a bar fight, Kick On keeps its violence grounded and absolutely unnerving.
At the center of Kick On’s effectiveness is Nikolai Nikolaeff’s performance. Playing the whiny, attention-seeking Ray, Nikolaeff gives an impassioned and terrifying performance as the charismatic failson of a Russian mobster. With all the lethality expected of a member of the organization, Nikolaeff plays Ray with care, allowing his conflicted emotions to take shape. His tirades of betrayal and posturing make sense the longer Kick On goes into the night, adding an unexpectedly sympathetic dimension to Ray. It doesn’t quite feel earned in the end, but Nikolaeff’s performance makes it work regardless. This same level of nuance is afforded to much of the central cast, at least the ones who make it long enough for their edges to be discovered.
It all comes together in the end. Anchored by a pulsing soundtrack and relentless violence, Kick On excels because all the elements feel like a fever dream of a night out that turns into a nightmare. To anyone even remotely peripheral to the scene, Kick On portrays how volatile one of life’s taboo pleasures can be and how it can all be snuffed out in an instant depending on the circumstances. It’s glittery and bloody all the same, which fits the bittersweet final messaging.
Energetic, intentional, and thrilling all the same, Kick On is an excellent psychological horror film that takes viewers on a violent odyssey into the worst illicit substances have to offer. Not puritanical in its approach but realistic, it shines with its nuanced portrayal of its characters and the violence that likely befalls them in real life. Kick On may not be the most original horror film on the festival circuit right now, but it certainly packs a powerful punch that is going to be hard to forget even if you sit with it all night long.
Overall Score? 8/10
