From the posters to the trailers, Gunpowder Milkshake promised to be the unapologetic, completely women-helmed action stacked film that we’d all been waiting for. And it does not disappoint. Gunpowder Milkshake is a powerhouse of a film filled with kick ass action and a tremendous cast led by the charismatic, screen commanding Karen Gillan. 

 

In her turbulent life as a professional assassin, Scarlet was cruelly forced to abandon her daughter Sam and go on the run. Years later, despite the estrangement, Sam has also grown up into a cold blooded hitwoman. After a high-stake mission spins out of control, putting an innocent 8-year-old girl in the middle of the gang war she has unleashed, Sam has no choice but to go rogue. This ultimately leads her back to her mother and her former hit women sidekicks, who all join forces in an avenging war against those who took everything from them.

 

Gunpowder Milkshake’s story plays a lot like John Wick and other films of that ilk. An assassin protecting the innocence in a glorious, gore filled rampage. But what makes this film different to the vast majority of the ones that have gone before is that it's not only completely helmed by women they all have their own agency and destructive purpose. 

 

But it doesn’t feel like some kind of gimmick or a two hour cinematic lecture either. Gunpowder Milkshake shows us the power and prowess of women that they can fire off rounds, wield a knife and flatten baddies heads with large objects as well, if not better, than their male counterparts. 

 

The action is first rate and even had my mate and I, both seasoned action flick watchers, cringing, in the best possible way at the brutality of it. There were a couple of instances when it felt as if they were trying to be a bit too stylistic but that was few and far between. 

 

The real star of the show is Karen Gillan. Not relegated to a supporting role but now in the lead, Gillan shows her charismatic presence and the ability to command the screen. Here’s hoping she gets more cinematic lead roles as a result of this. 

 

Gunpowder Milkshake is a powerhouse of a film filled with kick ass action and a tremendous cast led by the charismatic, screen commanding Karen Gillan.