Gunpowder Milkshake Delivers the Action but Fails to Make a Connection
Gunpowder Milkshake sets out to be a new favorite, highly stylized, action film. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the style choice leads to some stunning fight scenes, but this decision ultimately harms the film by boxing its characters into noir archetypes.
The style is overpowering in the first part of the film. Gunpowder Milkshake works better towards the middle and end of the film when the style is still there, but the characters and relationships are allowed to shine more and step out of the archetypal roles they’ve been placed in.
It isn’t until we meet Emily that we finally break through the style to get some substance.
Prior to their meeting, Karen Gillan’s Sam is stuck delivering stilted dialogue, keeping us at a distance even when flashing back to the traumatic moment of when her mother left her. That is supposed to be the moment we start to emphasize with Sam, but it’s hard to when she’s only allowed to be the emotionless anti-hero.
Once she meets Emily, Sam is allowed to be more human. We’re able to catch a glimpse of Sam’s heart and personality. But there aren’t many other opportunities outside of her relationship with Emily.
Even the scenes between Sam and her mother, Scarlet, only scratch the surface of what their relationship is like. We get a couple of good moments, like Sam remarking on how Scarlet always has plans on top of plans, but we don’t get to explore their relationship past that.
That’s one of the biggest faults of Gunpowder Milkshake — not allowing us to really get to know these characters and care about them. Instead, the film chooses to prioritize the action scenes.
It’s not a bad film by any means, but it isn’t something that leaves you wanting to talk to everyone you know about it either. There are some good moments but mostly it is disappointing because you know it could be much better.
We’re used to male-led and dominated action films, and so a group of badass women taking down a group of men is something different. The library and the librarians — Anna May, Florence, and Madeleine — are a brilliant concept, but Gunpowder Milkshake fails to make anyone stand out enough for us to really connect to them and care about them.
Gunpowder Milkshake also doesn’t take the time to set up this world. We don’t get a history of the Firm, the diner, or the library. They are presented to us, and we’re supposed to just accept that this is the world we’re in. It’s not a fatal flaw by any means, but it holds the film back from being superb.
It would have been fascinating to learn a bit more about everything, and how Sam, Scarlet, and the librarians found their way to their places in this world. That’s one thing Gunpowder Milkshake gets right — making us want to know more about these characters and this world. It’s too bad the film runs out of time.
Stray Thoughts
- A library is no place for violence; the poor books don’t deserve it.
- A friend of mine said that this is a pretty accurate representation of working in a library, so the film earns kudos there.
- Does the diner serve regular customers or only ones employed by the Firm or in a crime syndicate?
- The boneheads deliver some much-needed humor; the drugged fight scene is fantastic.
What did you think of Gunpowder Milkshake? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gunpowder Milkshake is now streaming on Netflix.
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).