A money laundering scheme accidentally turns a hitman into an avant-garde sensation, forcing an art dealer to play the art world against the underworld. A film by Nicol Paone, starring Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Maya Hawke, Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway, Amy Keum, Matthew Maher, Larry Pine, Candy Buckley, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Patrice (Uma Thurman), the owner of PROGRAM gallery, battles against the tide of dwindling interest in her art dealership. Amidst the lackluster opening night of Grace’s exhibition, Patrice witnesses a sparse attendance of the artist’s friends and a handful of uninspiring individuals. To counter the gnawing anxiety, she turns to the calming effects of Adderall. Grace (Maya Hawke), disheartened by the absence of potential collectors, expresses her frustration at Patrice’s lack of engagement with the art press. She compares Patrice’s gallery unfavorably to that of her rival Anika, who boasts a permanent press agent and a close relationship with The Kimono, a renowned art critic whose articles grace the pages of the New York Times.

Gordon (Samuel L. Jackson), a Black Jewish owner of Neptune Bakery & Bialys, skillfully navigates the murky waters of money laundering for the mafia. However, his carefully constructed operation is thrown into disarray when Lyle and his associate find themselves locked up by the authorities. With his usual channels disrupted, Gordon tells his trusted confidant and hitman Reggie (Joe Manganiello), that they must devise a new strategy for keeping the money flowing.

Gordon visits his friend Nate (Matthew Maher), a drug dealer with an unusual sideline in used panties, to explore unorthodox money laundering opportunities. He learns that Nate recently received a valuable painting worth $45,000 from Patrice, an art gallery owner facing financial difficulties. Recognizing a potential solution to his own monetary woes, Gordon approaches Patrice with a proposal to utilize art transactions as a cover for laundering illicit funds. While Patrice initially resists his proposition, Gordon skillfully plants the seed of intrigue, leaving her with his business card should she ever reconsider his offer.

Patrice, consumed by envy of her rival Anika’s immense popularity, is enraged when Anika (Dree Hemingway) lures away her long-standing wealthy clients the Galvinsons couple (Larry Pine & Candy Buckley), and her longtime collaborator, the artist Fern Davis (Zora Casebere), who decides to move to Anika’s gallery despite having worked with Patrice for six years. Recognizing that money is the key to solving all her problems, Patrice turns to Gordon for assistance.

Unable to simply sell a random item from her gallery to generate illegal funds, Patrice instructs Gordon to procure a painting for her to catalog and sell. Gordon exerts pressure on Reggie, forcing him to produce a painting for him. He delivers the painting and the cash for Patrice’s share to her gallery, in exchange for a $150,000 check. When Patrice inquires about the artist’s name, Gordon suggests using the pseudonym “Bagman”.

Unburdened by financial constraints, Patrice secures the most prestigious seats for herself and her intern assistant Leslie (Amy Keum) at the prestigious Sculpture Foundation Fundraiser, an event that demands a minimum $10,000 donation for each seat. Amidst the grandeur of the fundraiser, Leslie inadvertently discloses Patrice’s lucrative deal on a painting by an enigmatic emerging artist known only as “The Bagman.” Patrice, unable to resist the allure of the situation, plays along, transforming “The Bagman” into an elusive figure that rapidly captures the attention of the art world’s elite collectors.

While the film’s premise appears promising, boasting stellar leads Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson, particularly Jackson’s hilarious deadpan delivery throughout, and a notable supporting cast including Amy Keum, Matthew Maher, Larry Pine, Debi Mazar, Jennifer Kim, and Thurman’s daughter Maya Hawke, the film falters in its script towards the end, as it attempts to normalize the hitman’s actions by introducing a backstory that justifies his killings. This narrative shift clashes with the film’s overall tone and undermines the character’s established moral ambiguity.

The enigmatic allure of The Bagman dissipates once his backstory is revealed, reducing him to a mere ordinary man with crude artistic talent. The film misses an opportunity to delve into the depths of a killer’s psyche, relying instead on the uninspired device of depicting his victims suffocating to death in plastic bags, a tactic that fails to convey the psychological impact of these violent acts.

Instead of fixating solely on The Bagman, the narrative could have benefited by delving into the intriguing lives of supporting characters like New York Times art-critique writer The Kimono (Debi Mazar), or an astute art advisor to the crème de la crème of elite collectors, Mae Li (Jennifer Kim).

The KILL ROOM was theatrically released in the United States on 29 September 2023, by Shout! Studios.