The Kill 2 takes the polished world of fashion dolls and sends it somewhere deeply unpleasant. Directed and animated by Chris Ullens for Lex Amarni, the music video follows two young women whose obsessive scrolling turns into a violent spree. The dolls’ familiar appearance makes the shift from aspirational lifestyle imagery to horror especially disorienting.
Viewer note: The embedded music video contains graphic violence involving dolls.
The story moves from a Los Angeles high-rise apartment into encounters with the influencers who fill the characters’ feeds. That premise gives the miniature excess a target: the collision between carefully presented online lives and the uglier emotions those images can provoke. [1]
Staging a fast production
Ullens explained that Sully supplied the initial story and that an early animatic established the film’s structure. Production company Marvellous Last Night built the environment, while cinematographer Jamie Durand prepared practical lights. The team had roughly a month for the two-and-a-half-minute project, including two weeks of shooting. [2]
The schedule shaped the performances. Walking shots and elaborate movements were avoided; supports stayed outside the frame, reducing the need for later removal. Seated and reclining poses became practical ways to stage the action. Ullens reported that editing, sound, and grading were completed in a tightly organized sequence after filming, with the video released three working days after the shoot ended. [2]
The bedroom imagery shows why that approach can still feel cinematic. A doll leans toward a glowing screen while small lamps and the view beyond the windows establish competing pools of light. The bed, furnishings, and miniature luxury accessories give the setting a persuasive lifestyle-advertising finish. That visual polish provides the story with something to corrupt.
The credited team includes creative directors Sully and Lex Amarni, executive producer Max Alan, line producer Diaz Clarke, art director Maureen Kargbo, and miniature and prop maker Kiara Gourlay. Jack McGinity handled the grade at Studio RM, with sound design and mix by Adam Hare at String and Tins. [1]
The production offers a useful example of staging around the strengths of the objects in front of the camera. Character placement, lighting, and editing carry the scene, allowing a constrained animation setup to support an extravagantly nasty idea.
Images from the production
The Kill 2. Video frame: Lex Amarni / Chris Ullens / Marvellous Last Night.
References
- Promonews — Lex Amarni — The Kill 2: synopsis and production credits.
- Dragonframe — Filmmaker interview and production details.
