Kill (2023) is a gritty, relentless action-thriller that explores the boundaries of morality, survival, and vengeance in a brutal, unforgiving world. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film follows the story of a skilled ᴀssᴀssin, Victor Kane (played by Michael B. Jordan), who is drawn into a high-stakes mission that goes disastrously awry, leaving him trapped in a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly game of cat-and-mouse with both enemies and allies alike.

Victor, once a top operative for a shadowy government agency, has turned his back on a life of violence, seeking solace and a fresh start in the tranquil mountains of the Pacific Northwest. However, his quiet life is disrupted when an old contact, Lara (Jessica Chastain), resurfaces with a mission too personal for Victor to ignore. The ᴀssignment: eliminate a rogue mercenary, Javier (Oscar Isaac), who has turned against his former employers and is threatening to expose global conspiracies that could destabilize governments and powerful corporations.

Victor reluctantly accepts the job, but things quickly spiral out of control. When the mission fails, he finds himself marked for death, not only by Javier but by multiple factions who want him silenced for what he knows. Betrayed by those he trusted and hunted by relentless forces, Victor is forced to rely on his wits, combat training, and the few allies he can count on to survive.

As the film unfolds, Kill delves into themes of redemption, guilt, and the inescapable weight of past actions. Victor’s internal struggle is palpable, as he confronts the toll his past life has taken on his psyche. His journey through brutal confrontations and narrow escapes forces him to reconsider the very nature of violence and the possibility of escaping his dark past. Can a man defined by bloodshed ever truly be free, or is he forever tied to the consequences of his actions?

With its pulse-pounding action sequences and taut narrative, Kill keeps the audience on edge, offering visceral, heart-stopping moments that are balanced by a deeper exploration of its protagonist’s psychological transformation. Fuqua’s direction brings a raw, unflinching realism to the film, with choreographed fight scenes that are as intense as they are beautiful in their brutality. The action is relentless, but the film is equally concerned with Victor’s emotional and moral journey.

Michael B. Jordan delivers a commanding performance as Victor, bringing depth to a character that could have easily been reduced to a one-dimensional action hero. His portrayal of Victor’s inner turmoil, along with his physicality in the action sequences, makes for a performance that is both engaging and emotionally resonant. Chastain and Isaac provide strong supporting roles, with Chastain’s Lara offering a complicated layer of loyalty and manipulation, while Isaac’s Javier is a calculating and enigmatic antagonist whose motivations are revealed only gradually.

Kill also benefits from a hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack that amplifies the tension and stakes of each scene, using silence and sound design to evoke feelings of impending doom. The film’s cinematography captures the vast, isolated landscapes where Victor is constantly on the run, adding a layer of existential dread to the narrative.

At its core, Kill is a story of a man forced to confront the ghosts of his past, trapped in a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly world where survival means being as lethal as the forces hunting you. The film questions the price of vengeance and whether redemption is truly attainable, even for someone as skilled in violence as Victor Kane.

In Kill (2023), Antoine Fuqua delivers a gripping, high-octane thriller that combines brutal action with a layered exploration of character and consequences, making it a standout entry in the genre.

A Farmer’s Misplaced Hammer Led to the Largest Roman Treasure in Britain

Hoxne Hoard treasures. Photo by Helen Simonsson CC by SA-2.0

November 16, 1992 was the day which changed Suffolk-resident Eric Lawes’ life in a huge way. What he thought would have been an innocent search for a hammer he had misplaced on his farm in Hoxne Village, Suffolk, England ended up bringing him much more than he had bargained for — namely, uncovering the hiding spot of a long-hidden treasure. Based on the Guardian’s coverage of the story, Eric Lawes had been previously gifted a metal detector upon his retirement as a parting token. He decided to put his retirement gift to good use in order to locate the hammer which he had had some trouble finding. According to a 2018 Smithsonian Magazine article, when the device started recording that there was a strong signal coming from the earth, he knew that he was about to discover something big. As he started digging, it soon became clear to him that he had unearthed a treasure trove.

Hoxne Village. Photo by Duncan Grey CC BY-SA 2.0

The Guardian reports that, when Lawes saw that his preliminary digging had yielded a few gold coins and silver spoons, he immediately contacted both the local archaeological society and the police department. Archaeologists came to the property the following day and had the area of earth holding the treasure carefully sectioned-off and removed. Their hope was that at a later stage, in their laboratory, they could examined the items in order to identify both their age and how they were stored.

Hoxne Hoard: Display case at the British Museum showing a reconstruction of the arrangement of the hoard treasure when excavated in 1992. Photo by Mike Peel CC BY-SA 4.0

When all was said and done, close to 60 pounds of items made from silver and gold were found on the site. These included more than 15,000 Roman coins, 200 gold objects, and several silver spoons. For archaeologists, this find — which later became labeled as the Hoxne Hoard — was an incredible discovery. AP News reported that archaeologist Judith Plouviez was over-the-moon about the discovery, saying that it was “an incredibly exciting and amazing find.” What’s more, another archaeologist, Rachel Wilkinson, told Smithsonian Magazine that this discovery was “the largest and latest ever found in Britain.”

Hoxne Hoard: Coins. Photo by Mike Peel CC BY-SA 4.0

Ordinarily, archaeologists would use radiocarbon dating as a means of identifying the age of ancient relics. However, they couldn’t locate any suitable material from the haul. Consequently, they determined the age by examining writing on the coins, as well as the ruler carved into them, estimating that the treasure was probably buried in either 408 or 409 AD.

The silver “Hoxne Tigress” – the broken-off handle from an unknown object – is the best known single piece out of some 15,000 in the hoard. Photo by Mike Peel CC BY-SA 4.0

Roman-era archaeologist Peter Guest told Smithsonian Magazine that “if you look at them a little more carefully, then they should be dated to the period after the separation of Britain from the Roman Empire.” He offers as part of his evidence the fact that almost all of the coins found in the Hoxne Hoard were clipped – in other words, small chunks of their edges had been taken off. These clippings would have been used to create coins which were similar to the Roman coins of that era.

A silver-gilt spoon with a marine beast from the Hoxne Hoard. Currently in the British Museum. Photo by JMiall CC BY-SA 3.0

Guest has a logical reason for this, arguing that “The Roman Empire wasn’t supplying Britain with new gold and silver coins, and in light of that, the population tried to get over this sudden cutoff in the supply of their precious metals by making the existing supplies go further.”

Reconstruction of the Hoxne treasure chest. Photo by Mike Peel CC-BY-SA-4.0

Archaeologists also believe that the treasure belonged to a Romano-British family. During that time, considering that there was so much societal discord and upheaval, it was common for Romans who had settled in Britain to bury their most prized possessions.

Two gold bracelets from the Hoxne Hoard, in the British Museum. Photo by Fæ CC BY-SA 3.0

That said, one archaeologist is of the belief that the hoard had a lot of sentimental value for the Romano-British family to whom it is believed to have belonged. In her book The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate, Catherine Johns claims that the manner in which the treasure was kept supported this claim. Some of the items which were recovered had been packaged in small, wooden boxes which were lined with leather. What’s more, pieces of wood, locks, and nails, among other things, surrounded the gold and silver pieces. This leads Catherine to assert that the package was carefully buried and not simply chucked away in a rush.

Three silver-gilt Roman piperatoria or pepper pots from the Hoxne Hoard on display at the British Museum

Interestingly enough, the items unearthed might shed some light on the identity of the family who owned them. They cite a gold bracelet bearing the inscription “UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,” which roughly translates to “use this happily Lady Juliane”. A second name “Aurelius Ursicinus” has also been discovered. This has consequently led some to believe that Juliane and Aurelius were the couple and the original owners of the treasure. That said, that has yet to be confirmed.

Two toiletry items, one in the shape of a crane-like bird; the other with an empty socket, probably for bristles for a makeup brush. Photo by Fæ CC BY-SA 3.0

All in all, the discovery was a real treasure for archaeologists, and by extension, for Lawes. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in recognition of his discovery and willingness to contact authorities, the British government rewarded him with over £1.7 million, an amount which he shared with the farmer whose land was dug out in order to get the treasure. Funnily enough, apart from the treasure, Lawes also found his lost hammer — which now resides in the British Museum.