Movie Breakdown: Gunpowder Milkshake

Pre-Screening Stance:

I really like the look of Gunpowder Milkshake, and it certainly has a talented cast – Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti and more. I should also add that I enjoyed writer/director Navot Papushado’s Big Bad Wolves (way the heck back in 2013). This could be a good one.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Gunpowder Milkshake is built on a similar framework as the John Wick series, but otherwise it’s – thankfully – pretty different. The basic story is that Sam, a top quality hit-woman, has a sentimental moment in the middle of a job that results in her saving a young girl (Chloe Coleman) but losing a large sum of money that belongs to a group of shady folks called The Firm. She then goes on the run, re-ups with people from her past, and fights wave after wave of hit-men.

Just like in John Wick, the world of Gunpowder Milkshake seems to be very assassin-centric. This means there’s plenty of things in play like Sam’s trio of “aunts” who run a library with books that have guns stored in them, a secret hospital that caters to hired guns, a special diner where hit-people meet, etc. And, just like in John Wick, none of this stuff is really explained – it’s just how things are.

Where Gunpowder Milkshake steps out on its though is through its stylish imagery and a tone that happily slides between all-out action film and plucky comedy. This is a film that wants to dazzle you a bit, to make you crack up here and there, and to leave you feeling good, and it does. Kudos to writer/director Navot Papushado for taking what was clearly a jumble of ideas and making something coherent out of them. Also, good on Karen Gillan for holding her own throughout this film. She’s got the sort of face that just doesn’t do angry or serious all that well, but because she brings it elsewhere, I was still able to buy into her being a determined and capable badass.

If you’re looking for something fun, then dive into Gunpowder Milkshake when it hits Netflix this Wednesday, July 14.

One Last Thought:

Everyone in this film kicks ass, but the only person that does so effortlessly is Michelle Yeoh, who couldn’t possibly be a more spry 58-year old. What a career she’s had (and is still having) – it’s wildly impressive.