''Kill Switch'' is a 2008

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

starring

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

and directed by

Jeff F. King Jeff F. King is a Canadian screenwriter, comics writer, television producer and film director. King served as co-executive (1994–95) and then executive producer (1995–96) for the Canadian television series '' Due South'' and was the co-rec ...

. Steven Seagal plays Detective Jacob King, a tough cop with a reputation for violent street-justice methods. King investigates murders in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, perpetrated by a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

known as Lazerus. The film is also notable for featuring one of the last roles of

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

Plot

Jacob King is a police officer, whose brutal methods have gained him a legendary reputation among his colleagues. Seemingly indifferent to the fact his twin brother was murdered in front of him as a child, King investigates a series of brutal killings, most involving young, attractive women. The murderer, Lazerus, leaves cryptic,

astrological Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

clues at the crime scenes. At the same time, another murderer, Billy Joe Hill (

Mark Collie George Mark Collie (born January 18, 1956) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, and fundraiser for Type 1 diabetes study. He has won awards and acclaim for his music, his acting, and his philanthrop ...

), is killing women. King finds him and kicks him out a window repeatedly, after which Hill seeks revenge by murdering Celine (Karyn Michelle Baltzer), whom he believes to be King's girlfriend. King goes on a brutal rampage through the

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

underworld with the assistance of his partner, Detective Storm Anderson (

Chris Thomas King Chris Thomas King (born Durwood Christopher Thomas, October 14, 1962) is an American blues musician and actor based in New Orleans, Louisiana. History King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. He is the son of blues musician Tabb ...

) and the coroner (

). King meets

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

agent Frankie Miller (

Holly Dignard Holly Elissa (born 1 October 1979, as Holly Elissa Dignard), is a Canadian artist, actress, filmmaker and activist. She is an advocate for women's rights, child welfare, social injustice and discrimination as well as a supporter of animal and ...

) but dislikes her because she does not approve of his methods. Lazerus attempts to frame King for the murder of a blonde barmaid, and Miller believes the frame and begins to pursue King. Meanwhile, King locates Lazerus and fights him, using a

ball-peen hammer A ball-peen or ball pein hammer, also known as a machinist's hammer, is a type of peening hammer used in metalworking. It has two heads, one flat and the other, called the peen, rounded. It is distinguished from a cross-peen hammer, diagonal-peen ...

to break every bone in his body. He then goes after Billy Joe Hill and kills him after finding Celine dead. King then chooses to exit the scene, leaving Anderson a note explaining he is quitting because no one likes his style of justice. The final scene shows King returning to what appears to be his Russian wife and family.

Cast

as Detective Jacob King *

as Frankie Miller * Karyn Michelle Baltzer as Celine *

as Storm * Philip Granger as Captain Jensen * Jerry Rector as CDLU Lawyer *

as Coroner

Theatrical release

The film later received theatrical distribution exclusively in the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

in 2009.

References

External links

*
Review by Vern
at Aint It Cool News American crime thriller films Canadian crime thriller films 2008 direct-to-video films 2008 action thriller films 2000s crime thriller films American action thriller films American direct-to-video films Canadian action thriller films Canadian direct-to-video films CineTel Films films Films set in Memphis, Tennessee Films shot in Vancouver Nu Image films 2008 films 2000s English-language films Films directed by Jeff F. King 2000s American films 2000s Canadian films {{action-thriller-film-stub