R-rated violent action thriller on Netflix is a neon-drenched bloodbath
Author: Robert Skuch Published
2021 gunpowder milkshake Its name alone is a hit, but that’s just a hint of what this action thriller is capable of. The movie is like a strong-female version of John Wick, telling the story of a secret society of assassins who quickly realize how much they can’t handle when they mess with the wrong woman. When an effort goes awry, we learn how deeply the organization is operating and how far they are willing to maintain control. Unfortunately, this time they picked the wrong target.
gunpowder milkshakeWhile a bit heavy on the message, it’s still a rock solid action thriller with next-level stunt choreography. It’s so much fun that any sense of preachiness quickly takes a back seat to the carefully staged carnage for the protagonists and anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way.
it must run in the family
We are first introduced to 12-year-old Sam (Freya Allen) gunpowder milkshake When she meets her mother Scarlett (Lena Headey) in a restaurant. What Sam doesn’t yet understand is that her mother belongs to the Assassin Sisterhood and works for a mysterious organization called “The Company.” Scarlett suddenly leaves Sam, prompting Nathan (Paul Giamatti), the company’s human resources representative, to take responsibility for protecting her health.
Fifteen years later, adult Sam (Karen Gillan) has followed in his mother’s footsteps, working as an assassin for the Corporation, striking out with ruthless efficiency. She’s obviously good at her job, but cracks in that working relationship begin to appear when she’s assigned a mission involving a kidnapped girl named Emily (Chloë Coleman).
Sam’s initial mission is to track down Emily’s father, who stole a large sum of money from the company. She soon discovers that the theft was an act of desperation as he attempted to redeem his daughter’s money. Unable to do the job in good conscience, Sam makes a decision that immediately puts her in direct conflict with the company and one of its most powerful clients.
The organization’s high council meets with Nathan and is determined to get rid of Sam, who not only deliberately botched the job but also destroyed the stolen money before escaping with Emily. With no options, Sam turns to Madeline (Carla Gugino), Florence (Michelle Yeoh) and Anna Mae (Angela Bassett), members of the Assassin Sisterhood operating out of an armory disguised as a library.
From here on, gunpowder milkshake It turns into a neon-lit life-or-death battle between the company and the sorority. The film quickly makes it clear that only one party comes out of it all alive.
We get it, corporations are the patriarchy
Since I’m not much of a fan of hard-hitting messaging, I wasn’t particularly interested in the whole “patriarchal badness” angle that this movie gravitated towards. The Corporation is portrayed as an entrenched power structure that has controlled things for a long time and now feels threatened by the Assassin Sisterhood. The problem with this framing is that both organizations killed a lot of people, so claiming moral superiority over an organization doing the same thing feels a little disingenuous.
That little nitpick aside, gunpowder milkshake Earns high marks for its relentless pacing and inventive fight sequences. I tried doing a real-time head count, but quickly ran out of fingers and toes and gave up on the idea entirely.
Karen Gillan is an absolute beast once Sam is compromised, and her willingness to fully commit to the physicality of the character is to be commended. Even after being injected with a serum that paralyzed her arms, she still strapped guns and knives to her hands and relied on momentum and brute force to knock down her targets. Paul Giamatti is really good as a spineless HR representative who wants to do the right thing for Sam but lacks the courage to stand up to the company, adding a welcome layer of dark comedy to the chaos.
all in all, gunpowder milkshake Basically a chick John Wick, and I totally agree with that. It’s violent, stylish, and deliberately campy at just the right moments, making for a highly entertaining watch from start to finish. If you’re ready to see what kind of girl power Sam and the rest of her sorority are willing to unleash, gunpowder milkshake As of this writing, the show is streaming on Netflix.
