Real Machetes and Retro Tech: How 'They Will Kill You' Forged its Kung Fu Sound

Forget digital bells and whistles. For the kung fu-inspired action-comedy "They Will Kill You," sound designers Jeff Pitts and Duncan McRae went gloriously analog, even using a real, razor-sharp machete to craft its unique sonic punch.

Pitts, the supervising sound editor, revealed he recorded the film's hero machete by hanging a legitimate, sharpened prop on a mic stand. He then proceeded to whack it with his own butcher knife. The result? His butcher knife bent and broke, while the movie prop remained largely unscathed. This dedication to authentic, physical sound capture is a testament to their craft.

Beyond a weapon's durability, Pitts also leaned heavily into vintage gear. He pushed nearly every sound effect through a TASCAM 4-track cassette deck, an old-school piece of equipment that allowed him to manipulate playback speed and create unique Doppler effects. This gave the film's sound a distinct, almost retro texture, fitting its 1970s kung fu cinema homage.

McRae, the rerecording mixer, highlighted the team's relentless pursuit of variety. Each fight sequence in the Kirill Sokolov-directed film was designed to feel different, avoiding any sense of repetition. The final creature fight, for example, required extensive tweaking to achieve the perfect menacing tone, balancing intense music, dialogue, and hard-hitting effects. Earlier brawls often stripped away music entirely, showcasing director Sokolov's willingness to experiment with the soundscape.

Working on "They Will Kill You" reawakened Pitts's appreciation for classic kung fu sound design, a style he now hopes to explore further. That raw, impactful style, often imitated with vocalizations, has a rich legacy, and this film embraced it fully. The film, also starring Zazie Beetz, Tom Felton, and Patricia Arquette, is available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming on HBO Max.