Review: Gunpowder Milkshake

‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ is a term that isn’t quite an oxymoron, but it is dissonant.  It isn’t a contradiction, but it is made of two things that don’t go together well.

Gunpowder is the earliest known chemical explosive that reshaped warfare, and killed millions of soldiers around the world.  Milkshakes are ice cream and milk mixed in blenders to create deserts for children.  So, what could possibly combine the killing power associated with gunpowder, and the innocence of a milkshake?  Karen Gillan‘s character Sam gives us the answer.

The Plot

The Cleaner

Samantha, or “Sam” for short, is a “Cleaner”.  She’s not a cleaner in the traditional sense; she’s a “cleaner” in the Harvey-Keitel-from-Pulp-Fiction sense.  When sloppy criminals really make a mess of things, Sam is the one who comes in to ‘clean up’ their mess.

In an un-named, vaguely Eastern-European city with flat screen TV’s, old school Razr flip phones, and everyone speaking English at American-style Diners; we find Sam cleaning up a mess for her employers, known only as “The Firm”.

As Sam leaves a job-well-done, she’s mistakenly ambushed by the Russian mob knocking down the door.  Bad timing, for THEM.  Sam survives barely needing stitches; the mobsters, dozens of them, don’t survive.  Unfortunately for Sam, this includes the Mob Boss’ son. 

Sam is summoned by her surrogate Father/Boss, Nathan, played by Paul Giamatti.  Sam dutifully goes to The Diner, a gun-free Switzerland, where the more nefarious elements of the underworld can break bread and bury the hatchet. 

The Firm isn’t happy with the mess Sam left behind, and Nathan instructs Sam to ditch her old guns, before redeeming herself on a new job.  

An accountant has stolen a large sum of money from The Firm, and doesn’t know The Firm’s true nature.  Sam needs to pay him a visit and retrieve the money.

The Kid

A struggle in the Accountant’s hotel room leaves him shot, just as the phone rings.  His kidnapped daughter has 60 minutes left, unless he brings the money.

Somehow, the Cleaner grows a conscience.  Nathan warns Sam to drop it, or The Firm will come after her.  No one likes a sloppy cleaner.

The Good – Gunpowder Milkshake

The Action

Karen Gillan’s physicality is on full display throughout ‘Milkshake’.  Gillan’s 5’11” frame towers over the entire female cast, and allows her to go eye to eye with the men during Sam’s fight scenes.

Each of the four main fight scenes in this nearly two hour film show off Gillan’s combat skills.  Each scene is different and furthers the story.  The second fight, especially, is unlike ANY fight scene I’ve ever seen in a movie.  Creative, brutal, and freaking hilarious.

Yes, there are clearly doubles used for the more elaborate stunts.  But, Gillan appears to do many of her own stunts; bringing a realism to Sam’s fight scenes you can’t get without seeing the expressions on her face.

The Look

The Cinematography and Production Design are also top notch.  Writer/Director Navot Papushado creates a Neo-Noir very similar to John Wick and Bad Times At The El Royale.  

High contrast between light and dark lighting in scenes, and high color saturation and bright color palette; highlight a well thought out visual aesthetic.  Purposeful framing and camera angles also contribute to a distinct and well thought out visual style.

Young Chloe Coleman, who was 10 at the time of shooting, plays Emily, the kidnapped daughter of the Accountant.  This is the SECOND film for Coleman with a Guardians Of The Galaxy star, after headlining 2020’s My Spy with Dave Bautista. 

Coleman goes beyond the naive child character, and shines driving the getaway car in a high speed chase scene in a parking garage.  Chloe Coleman’s performance is grounded enough to explain Sam’s motivation to help her, and yet superlative enough to fit into this graphic novel come to life.

Strong performances also come from Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, and Carla Gugino; a trio of hiding-in-plain-sight arms dealing librarians.  Anna May, Florence, and Madeleine provide an additional perspective into the Milkshake world, and extra firepower down the stretch of the film.

The Bad

Very few missed opportunities in Gunpowder Milkshake, but a few elements were a swing and a miss.

Of the four main fight scenes, all are well conceived and three of the four jump off the screen; but the first fight comes off flat.  The film’s first major fight involves the Boneheads coming after Sam.

The trio of low level enforcer types ambush Sam in a bowling alley.  The fight is carefully coordinated, but comes across more like a dance and less like a fight.  The punches seem to carry no weight, and the movements feel like the stunt team has practiced the moves many, many times before.  Fight scenes should always have a sense of spontaneity and immediacy.  This fight felt well practiced, and lacked urgency.

The only other big weakness in Milkshake is the messaging.  On the surface, Gunpowder Milkshake presumes to be a Girl Power, Action Movie.  And, the multitude of strong female roles in this cast work to reinforce that.  

However, the showdown with the mob boss comes across as artificially sexist in an effort to reinforce the girl power itself.  And, the messaging and execution of the rest of the film, do nothing to enforce a theme of sexism from the bad guys.  This inconsistency feels out of place with the film as a whole, and takes away from the otherwise well executed and hyper specific vision.

The Review – Gunpowder Milkshake

Gunpowder Milkshake gives Guardians Of The Galaxy/Avengers star Karen Gillan a chance to ditch Nebula’s shaved head and fully body blue makeup; and lead an action movie as herself.  Gillan’s presence and energy set the tone from beginning to end, as she rises to meet the occasion.

The relatively low budget of $30 Million feels absurdly low given the final product that ends up on screen.  The excellent cast and fight scenes put on display, along with the specificity in the story and characters; feel like Gunpowder Milkshake is based off an already established Comic or Graphic Novel.  However, the writers are simply credited as Director Navot Papushado and Ehud Lavski.

Definitely worthy of sequels or followup streaming shows, Milkshake builds out a whole world worthy of exploration.  This film is a ton of fun and turns Karen Gillan into a true action movie star rivaling Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, and Linda Hamilton.

Have fun and check out this pleasant surprise on Netflix!

Additional Information.

If you’d like to check out another upcoming Netflix Original Film, check out my trailer reaction for He’s All That!

Gunpowder Milkshake IMDb page