A violent action flick with strong family ties
Gunpowder Milkshake is a Netflix original action flick from Israeli writer/producer/director Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves.) The story follows a talented assassin named Samantha (Guardians of the Galaxy’s Karen Gillan.) Sam gets some bad intel on a hit. She expected a handful of henchmen, but was met by over a dozen. Fortunately for her, she manages to dispatch all of them. Unfortunately, one of them is the son of a rival crimelord, which puts her right in his crosshairs.
Sam’s handler, Nathan (Paul Giamatti (Billions)), tells her there is a new job for her. Someone has been stealing from their crime syndicate. Her job is to find him and bring back the money. Sam confronts the man. A struggle ensues and she winds up shooting him in the stomach. As she tries to save him, she learns that he stole the money as ransom for his kidnapped daughter, Emily (Upload’s Chloe Coleman).
Sam has her own mother issues, told via flashback. Her mother, also an assassin, abandoned her 15 years earlier after meeting her in one of the film’s signature sets, the diner. Seeing so much of herself in Emily, Sam decides to save her, regardless of the consequences.
Gunpowder Milkshake boasts very stylish visuals. It’s equal parts family drama, western, Kill Bill, and martial arts mayhem. Papushado loves slow motion and the film boasts several scenes with long, continuous shots. The introduction scene between Sam and some of the movie’s other strong female characters is a standout shot, as the camera rotates between all of them seamlessly.
There are several scenes that are shot in what we would call “neon noir.” Bright pinks and blues punctuate a lot of the film’s visuals. Papushado uses isolated lighting that zooms in on Gillan’s big eyes. Gillan’s ability to show emotion with the slightest facial expression is on full display. Coleman also makes viewers sympathetic with her wide-eyed innocence.
Stunt scenes are the muscle of the movie. One of the best involves Sam taking on three enforcers while her arms are paralyzed. The stunt coordinator team of Volkhart Buff, Laurent Demianoff and Lee Huang deserve full marks for the creative fight scenes. Many of these involve a wide variety of weapons (brass knuckles, guns, tomahawks, hammers, chains) and they are all entertaining.
Kudos go to the stunt performers, but also to the cast. This list of actors is absolutely stacked. Gillan is joined by Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Angela Bassett (9-1-1), Michelle Yeoh (Supercop), Freya Allan (The Witcher), Carla Gugino (San Adreas). Papushado and his crew take full advantage, giving every one of these bad ass women a chance to shine.
Gunpowder Milkshake is loaded. It’s emotional, action packed, full of comedy and it tugs at the heartstrings. It’s a very female-oriented movie that trusts the cast and crew to deliver on a fun and powerful story.