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''WΔZ'' (pronounced ''double-u delta zed)'', is a 2007 British
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
horror thriller Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
film directed by
Tom Shankland Thomas Otto Shankland (born 7 May 1968) is an English film and television director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the horror films '' WΔZ'' (2007) and '' The Children'' (2008), and television series such as '' The Fades'' (2011), '' ...
, written by Clive Bradley, and starring
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
, Melissa George, Selma Blair, and Tom Hardy. The film was released in the United States with the title ''The Killing Gene''.


Plot

Set against the backdrop of a dark and rain-soaked New York, ''WΔZ'' follows the investigative efforts of Detective Eddie Argo (portrayed by
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
) and his newly assigned partner Helen Westcott (played by Melissa George). Together, they embark on a journey to solve a series of gruesome murders that have gripped the city. The modus operandi of the perpetrator involves carving the
Price equation In the theory of evolution and natural selection, the Price equation (also known as Price's equation or Price's theorem) describes how a trait or allele changes in frequency over time. The equation uses a covariance between a trait and fitness, t ...
(wΔz = Cov (w,z) = βwzVz) onto the chests of each victim, presenting a cryptic puzzle for the detectives to unravel. As Eddie Argo and Helen Westcott delve into the intricacies of this enigmatic equation, a chilling revelation emerges – each victim is confronted with a moral dilemma, a choice between committing a heinous act by killing their loved ones or facing their own demise. The detectives soon discern that the perpetrator (played by Selma Blair), driven by a profound personal tragedy, is grappling with a similar predicament. The motive behind the murders becomes an exploration of existential philosophy, as the perpetrator seeks to reconcile their own anguish by compelling others to confront the same ethical quandary.


Cast

*
Stellan Skarsgård Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
as Eddie Argo * Melissa George as Helen Westcott * Selma Blair as Jean Lerner * Tom Hardy as Pierre Jackson * Ashley Walters as Daniel Leone *
Paul Kaye Paul Kaye (born 15 December 1964) is an English comedian and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Thoros of Myr in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2013–17). He started as shock interviewer Dennis Pennis on ''The Sunday ...
as Gelb *
Michael Wildman Michael Wildman (born 10 June 1970) is an English actor. He appeared in the film '' Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', where he played the role of a centaur Magorian. Prior to accepting this role, Wildman was in the West End playing ...
as O'Hare *
Sally Hawkins Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress of stage and screen. She began her career on stage and then moved into film, for which she has received several accolades including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominatio ...
as Elly Carpenter * Michael Liebman as Wesley Smith * John Sharian as Jack Corelli * Alibe Parsons as Miss Allaway * Sean Brian Chipango as Jamal Osman / Khaled Osman * Barbara Adair as Alice Jackson * Lauren Hood as Sharon Williams * Sheila Kerr as Alison Lerner * Joshua O'Gorman as Dominic Carpenter * Robert Phillips as Captain Maclean * Marcus Valentine as Hassan Harbi * Peter Ballance as Trucker * Igor Smiljevic as SWAT leader * Larry Cowan as Junkie * Laurence Doherty as NY Detective * Roy McManus as Paramedic


Release and reception

The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives the film a score of 64% based on reviews from 14 critics. ''CHUD.com'' wrote of the film, "Director Tom Shankland paints a grimy portrait that fits well with the Clive Bradley script. It is a great debut for both filmmakers who created a movie that works on almost every level." ''
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
'' wrote, "But let's not kid ourselves: This is a nasty horror thriller that has a ''
Class of 1984 ''Class of 1984'' is a 1982 crime thriller film directed by Mark Lester, produced by Arthur Kent, and co-written by Tom Holland and John Saxton, based on a story by Holland. The film stars Perry King, Merrie Lynn Ross (who also served as ...
'' feel to it, although it has the most in common with the ''Saw'' series (even the line "Oh yes, there will be blood!" is morphed into "But there will be pain!"). It's not quite as outlandishly brutal, but it's still mean." ''
Fortean Times ''Fortean Times'' is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. Previously published by John Brown Publishing (from 1991 to 2001), I Feel Good Publishing (from 2001 to 2005), Dennis Publishing (from ...
'' wrote, "While the plot twists rarely come as a surprise, the film's grimy feel and effective pacing, and a gripping – if occasionally rather over-exaggerated – central performance by Skarsgård, make this a genuinely thrilling venture into '' Se7en'' territory, despite the unfortunate silliness of the title."


See also

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Price equation In the theory of evolution and natural selection, the Price equation (also known as Price's equation or Price's theorem) describes how a trait or allele changes in frequency over time. The equation uses a covariance between a trait and fitness, t ...
*
Social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...
*
Psychological torture Psychological torture, mental torture or emotional torture is a type of torture that relies primarily on psychological effects and only secondarily on any physical harm inflicted. Although not all psychological torture involves the use of physica ...
*
Modus operandi A (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is an individual's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as . Term The term is often used in ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:W Delta Z 2007 films 2007 horror films 2007 crime thriller films 2000s horror thriller films 2000s psychological horror films 2007 psychological thriller films 2000s serial killer films British crime thriller films British horror thriller films British psychological thriller films British serial killer films Police detective films Vertigo Films films Films about torture Films scored by David Julyan 2000s English-language films 2000s British films English-language horror thriller films English-language crime thriller films