Picture the heart-breaking hard drama of ‘Blue Valentine’ on a collision course with the intense body horror of ‘The Fly’. Alternatively, in the case of our previous films: ‘Portrait’ meets ‘Retch’ (which you can watch below under The Team!)

Axel and Dakota are stuck in a toxic relationship, slowly poisoning each other both mentally and physically. When Dakota tries to finally break it off, it causes a violent, physical reaction in Axel that starts transforming him into a monstrous creature with increased aggression, a touch that melts skin and worst of all, he’s contagious...

A stormy night. A picture of a loving couple hangs on a wall. Suddenly, two bloody hands rip the framed picture from the wall. SMASH - the picture is hurled to the floor cracking the glass. The bloody hand grabs a long broken shard.

We linger on the framed picture of the happy couple behind the broken glass, while in the background we hear the sound of a woman struggling and the utterances of an inhuman monster.

Dakota's voice narrates:
"I've come to realize this was never a love story."

Dakota is trying to figure out how to break up with her long-term boyfriend, Axel, who she shares a flat with. She has a wild past. She represented exciting opportunities to him. He represented stability to her. But they haven’t been able to make it work because they are fundamentally incompatible.

Things quickly turn sour, as Axel begins to develop into a horrendous creature. He sweats thick goo and sprouts dark veins. Dakota tries to get him to the hospital, but Axel turns aggressive and animalistic at the fear of being left by her.

As the toxicity fully takes hold, Dakota becomes equally infected, as the pair grapple with the remains of their relationship, which threatens to come to a bloody end...

A lot of KILL YOUR LOVER will be execution based and since we’ve proved what we can do in short form - it’s high time to take it to the next level with a feature!

We’re fortunate to be working with an excellent and very accomplished team, who are the reason we’re able to make this film for less than industry standard. We are all hungry to prove what we can achieve - and moreover make a hellishly entertaining film!

CO-DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/WRITER TEAM: Alix Austin & Keir Siewert
www.switchblade-cinema.com

Alix & Keir (Team AK)'s most notable work so far includes the London segment for Horror Anthology ISOLATION (alongside Dennie Gordon, Larry Fessenden and Bobby Roe), which premiered at Frightfest & Screamfest 2021. They also co-created 'Best Horror' winning short RETCH (which premiered on ALTER) and multiple 'Best Film' award-winner PORTRAIT that have toured at over 50 festivals globally.

Keir & Alix have been working together for almost a decade, they've become known for their unconventional, stylized cinematography, love of practical make-up effects, killer scores and award-winning editing.

Their newest horror short SUCKER is entering the 2022 festival circuit and you can watch RETCH below right now!

Review:
'RETCH is the type of horror that you can barely stand to watch what is happening, but you can’t wait to see what’s next.’ - Joseph Perry, Horror Fuel

LEAD SFX MAKE-UP: Rebecca Wheeler
https://www.rebeccawheelermakeupartist.com/about-me 

Rebecca is a highly skilled Make Up professional having trained at The Iver Make-Up Academy at Pinewoods Studios and creates her own prosthetics as well as working closely with The Makeup Armoury.

Sho's worked across Special Effects and a whole host of make up artistry, having recently wrapped on Aquaman 2. Other credits include Boiling Point and The Midwich Cuckoos.

She is excited to be leading the charge as the Lead SFX artist on Kill Your Lover, having previously worked with the team on ‘Do Not Resuscitate’.

COMPOSER: Thibault Chavanis
https://www.thibaultchavanis.com/music

Thibault is a French composer & professional musician with a Masters in Composing for Film & TV from the National Film & Television School.

A longstanding friend and collaborator of Switchblade Cinema, Thibault has created multiple killer scores for AK, including 'Isolation' and 'Retch'. KILL YOUR LOVER would mark their 7th project together!

As well as being an accomplished composer, his previous experience as a professional guitarist gives him a real edge - having previously opened for multiple bands, like Motörhead!

"I personally have this sort of undying hidden rage coming from my hard rock metal background that I combine with highly experimental sounds. I feel this “contained” anger, that feels like it could explode any moment, aligns perfectly with the core of KILL YOUR LOVER's story, which I'd be very excited to create."

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Oscar Garth
https://oscargarth.co.uk/ 

Oscar is a Director of Photography and Colourist and stands apart with his striking style. Not afraid of dynamic shots or colour, he creates innovative sequences to emphasise each project he works on, regardless of the medium or genre.

He’s over the moon to be working with twisted minds behind Retch and Sucker, and stoked to be achieving all the SFX practically in-camera and is particularly looking forward to crafting a distinct, grungy visual style for the film, one that harks back to horror classics of the 80s/90s shot on 35mm (and with vintage glass).

Some of the effects from our previous films, including RETCH, Sucker and Do Not Resuscitate!

You can find some of our favourite tracks on the Official KILL YOUR LOVER PLAYLIST below:

LISTEN TO THE OFFICIAL KILL YOUR LOVER PLAYLIST HERE!