Kill Your Darlings (film)

Kill Your Darlings (film)
Name	Kill Your Darlings
Director	John Krokidas
Producer	Christine Vachon, Michael Benaroya
Writer	John Krokidas, Austin Bunn
Starring	Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Ben Foster, Elizabeth Olsen
Music	Nico Muhly
Cinematography	Reed Morano
Editing	Brian A. Kates
Studio	Benaroya Pictures, Killer Films
Distributor	Sony Pictures Classics
Released	19 January 2013 (Sundance Film Festival)
Runtime	104 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Kill Your Darlings (film) is a 2013 American biographical drama film directed by John Krokidas in his feature debut. The screenplay was written by Krokidas and Austin Bunn, exploring the formative years of the Beat Generation and a pivotal murder case that entangled several of its key figures. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Plot

In 1944, a young Allen Ginsberg arrives at Columbia University, feeling stifled by his family life with his mentally ill mother, Naomi Ginsberg, and his father, the poet Louis Ginsberg. He is quickly drawn into a rebellious circle of students, including the charismatic and troubled Lucien Carr, the ambitious William S. Burroughs, and the promising but undisciplined Jack Kerouac. Ginsberg becomes infatuated with Carr, who introduces him to a world of Bohemianism, jazz, and anti-establishment ideas inspired by their idol, the poet Dylan Thomas. Their lives are upended by Carr's obsessive older friend, David Kammerer, whose unrequited love culminates in Kammerer's stabbing death. The subsequent investigation and trial force the young writers to confront their loyalties, their art, and the consequences of their actions, setting them on the path to literary revolution.

Cast

* Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg * Dane DeHaan as Lucien Carr * Michael C. Hall as David Kammerer * Jack Huston as Jack Kerouac * Ben Foster as William S. Burroughs * Elizabeth Olsen as Edie Parker * Jennifer Jason Leigh as Naomi Ginsberg * David Cross as Louis Ginsberg * Kyra Sedgwick as Marian Carr * John Cullum as Professor Steeves * David Rasche as Dean

Production

The project was developed for over a decade by director John Krokidas and co-writer Austin Bunn, who began researching the story while students at Yale University. The film is produced by Christine Vachon of Killer Films and Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures. Principal photography took place in New York City, with key locations including the Columbia University campus and period-appropriate settings in Queens and Manhattan. The cinematography by Reed Morano aimed to visually contrast the rigid academic world with the vibrant, chaotic energy of the Beat circle. The score was composed by Nico Muhly.

Release

Kill Your Darlings had its world premiere on January 19, 2013, at the Sundance Film Festival. It was subsequently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival later that year. Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights and released the film in a limited theatrical run in the United States beginning in October 2013. The international rollout followed at festivals including the London Film Festival.

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% approval rating. Praise often centered on the performances, particularly those of Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan, with critics noting Radcliffe's successful departure from his Harry Potter persona. The direction of John Krokidas and the screenplay's exploration of the murder's psychological underpinnings were also highlighted. However, some reviews, such as one from The Hollywood Reporter, felt the narrative occasionally succumbed to conventional biopic tropes. The film did not achieve major commercial success but developed a cult following.

Themes and analysis

The film is a forensic examination of the origins of the Beat Generation, focusing on the intertwined themes of obsession, liberation, and the birth of a new literary voice. It positions the David Kammerer murder not merely as a crime but as the catalytic event that forged the rebellious ethos of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs. Central to the narrative is the conflict between conformity and creative freedom, symbolized by the oppressive atmosphere of Columbia University versus the group's embrace of Bohemianism and jazz. The title, "Kill Your Darlings"—a common writing aphorism about sacrificing one's most precious ideas—is reflected in the characters' painful severing of personal attachments to forge their artistic identities. The film also delves into themes of homosexuality and queer desire in the repressive 1940s America, exploring Ginsberg's awakening and the tragic dynamics of the Carr-Kammerer relationship.

Category:2013 films Category:American biographical drama films Category:Films about the Beat Generation Category:Films set in New York City Category:Sony Pictures Classics films