Thriller that's a screen superhero

Visually it's a treat, from the chic art world to grimy underworld hideouts.

- Hein Kaiser

It's not often that a thriller comes along that's more than just, well, a thriller. The Kill Room, starring Uma Thurman and the wonderfully dry Samuel L Jackson, is laced with dark humour, social commentary and sarcasm so delicious that it turns an otherwise satisfying film into a screen superhero.

The plot follows Patrice Capullo played by Thurman, a seasoned art dealer who's somewhat down on her luck, getting entangled in a money-laundering scheme orchestrated by a hitman, Reggie played by Joe Manganiello.

What begins as a simple plan to clean dirty money through art quickly spirals into a complex web of deceit, murder and unexpected alliances. But the main plot is only one part of the story.

The hitman becomes the artist; his works are being used for the laundering exercise and consequently, through the pretence of the art world, he becomes one of the most sought-after emerging artists on the New York gallery scene.