Adapting a famous novel is a monumental task for any filmmaker, particularly if that novel has already received an acclaimed adaptation. Yet, that is exactly what first-time feature director Ken’ichirô Akimoto did with All You Need Is Kill, and while enough of his ambitious swings pay off that the film stands out, several of its elements leave something to be desired.

All You Need Is Kill Review

All You Need Is Kill is adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel and follows a young soldier who finds herself trapped in a time loop after being killed by an otherworldly threat. If this premise sounds familiar, that’s because it probably is. The novel from which this movie is adapted was also the inspiration for 2014’s Tom Cruise actioner Edge of Tomorrow, a big-budget spectacle with a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie (the Mission: Impossible franchise) and Jaz and John-Henry Butterworth (Ford v. Ferrari). However, it will likely come as little surprise that those writers and the writers of this film found very different things to latch onto in the story.

Thematically, this version of All You Need Is Kill makes it clear why Sakurazaka’s novel became such an important cultural touchstone that has been adapted into so many formats already. Yûichirô Kido’s script explores ideas like finding a place to belong and living life to the fullest — themes that audiences of all ages, but especially teenagers, will connect to and relate with.

Unfortunately, as intriguing as these themes are, they’re squandered on a trite coming-of-age tale. This is where this anime adaptation treads much closer to the source material’s light novel origins. Because the protagonist is again a teenager and not a Hollywood A-lister, All You Need Is Kill feels a lot more melodramatic and less action-packed than Edge of Tomorrow did. While it is easy to appreciate the very different takes on this concept, as well as the different audiences they cater to, its insistence on sentimental teen romance ends up distracting from the main plot.

The action that there is in this version of All You Need Is Kill is impressive enough — viewers will just be left wishing that there was more of it. Perhaps in an attempt to keep the runtime succinct, All You Need Is Kill truncates a lot of its action sequences to montages. It also feels repetitive, and while part of this is the time-loop structure of the storyline, it feels like a missed opportunity to not be more creative with its repetition and have its protagonist learn and experiment with different fighting strategies.

That being said, from a visual standpoint, All You Need Is Kill is mostly stunning. If you look for less of an action picture and more of a trippy adventure, you’re likely to be more satisfied with Akimoto’s vision. Its hallucinatory, mesmeric designs draw you into the sci-fi world, with more than a few images looking downright painterly and worthy of being displayed in any art museum.

The only part of All You Need Is Kill’s visuals that falls short is its character design, which lacks the emotion it needed to be fully effective. When contrasted with the rather maximalist nature of the settings and creatures, the simplicity of its character designs stands out as somewhat underwhelming. Even stranger is that the movie does not copy the more traditional, detailed character style of the manga, meaning that these shortcomings were a decision made specifically for this adaptation.

Is All You Need Is Kill worth watching?

Yet despite its issues with character and melodrama, All You Need Is Kill manages to charm thanks to the strength of its source material. It certainly does not unseat Edge of Tomorrow as the best adaptation of this story, but it is a mostly enjoyable — and thankfully completely different — version of its own. Just don’t come expecting something action-packed; if you’re willing to embrace it as more of a teen drama with sci-fi flair, you’ll walk away mostly satisfied.

All You Need Is Kill is screening at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs July 16 to August 3 in Montreal, Canada.

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