It’s becoming more and more apparent that Microsoft is at a crossroads when it comes to gaming. The company has spent billions of dollars to dominate game development and is heavily invested in gaming as a service over console hardware. More than ever, it’s the Xbox console that seems like it’s on the chopping block.

The last five years of Xbox have been defined by one expensive win and dozens of losses. Xbox got away with acquiring Activision Blizzard King, but quickly turned to layoffs to balance the books. Game Pass has never quite exploded in growth. And Microsoft’s decision to bring expensive exclusive games to other platforms seemed to invalidate its previous strategy entirely.

In a Microsoft defined by its cloud business, Windows, and a big bet on AI, an Xbox division that’s still trying to sell game consoles makes less and less sense to the people who go to work in a suit or a tasteful cashmere sweater. Xbox launched in 2001 with a big bet on bringing PC-level graphics and online multiplayer to consoles, but 23 years later, the end of Xbox as a console is a matter of when, not if, and the path that gets us there is visible if you know where to look.

Firing out of the gate like the locomotive it takes place upon, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s revenge thriller Kill was an instant favorite at last year’s TIFF when it played in its “Midnight Madness” section. The ultra-violent, impressively choreographed barnburner drew immediate comparisons to The Raid and John Wick from the raucous audience of genre fans. Having two of the best action films of this century bandied about next to yours would be exciting for anyone, but for director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, a surprising influence served as his North Star.

“This is my straight, honest answer: aliens,” Bhat tells Inverse. On its face, Aliens, a landmark of action cinema, wouldn’t be the most out-of-bounds influence for any director. For Bhat, though, it wasn’t necessarily the action of Aliens that compelled him but James Cameron’s ability to make the inhuman relatable.

In a conversation with Inverse, Bhat reveals the harrowing message, and surprising inspiration, behind his bloody revenge thriller.