Guns Akimbo

"Get loaded."

2020 1h 38m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 2,672

ActionComedyThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An ordinary guy suddenly finds himself forced to fight a gladiator-like battle for a dark website that streams the violence for viewers. In order to survive and rescue his kidnapped ex-girlfriend, he must battle Nix, a heavily armed and much more experienced fighter.

“Get loaded.”

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Cast

Daniel Radcliffe
Miles
Samara Weaving
Nix
Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Nova
Ned Dennehy
Riktor
Rhys Darby
Glenjamin
Grant Bowler
Degraves
Edwin Wright
Stanton
Milo Cawthorne
Hadley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jason Lei Howden
Writers: Jason Lei Howden
Languages: English
Countries: Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Austria, Australia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 7 countries: Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Austria, Australia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jason Lei Howden, shot by Stefan Ciupek. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Enis Rotthoff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Luke Haigh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving and Natasha Liu Bordizzo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Get loaded.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jason Lei Howden directs. Stefan Ciupek behind the camera. Enis Rotthoff scores. Luke Haigh cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Austria, Australia. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 6 years ago.
3International production across 7 countries: Belgium, Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America, Austria, Australia.
4Directed by Jason Lei Howden, shot by Stefan Ciupek. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Enis Rotthoff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Luke Haigh shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving and Natasha Liu Bordizzo carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Get loaded.".
9IMDB entry: tt6902676 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "hero", "gladiator fight", "website", "bad cop".
11Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Stefan Ciupek
Original score: Enis Rotthoff
Editing: Luke Haigh
Production design: Nick Bassett
Costume design: Sarah Howden
Makeup / hair: Jane O'Kane
VFX supervisor: Tony Willis
Stunt coordinator: Steve McQuillan
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $835,102
Return: 6% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Guns Akimbo (2020)

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Jason Lei Howden

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2020-02-23
★ 5/10
There's definite cheap fun to be had here, just try not to go in with expectations too high. This was potential wasted, but at least we always have 'Deathgasm' to fall back on. - Jess Fenton Read Jess' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-guns-akimbo-just-like-harry-potter-but-with-guns-and-more-violence-not-really
Manuel São Bento2020-04-28
★ 8/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com As it becomes more and more common nowadays, I have to start this review by stating that no controversy surrounding this film affected my opinion in any way. I’m feeling a bit exhausted about the fact that almost every movie has some sort of external problem entirely unrelated to its story or characters. You can watch whatever you want, no one will make you watch this or that film. As long as you don’t purposefully give a negative review based on something that has nothing to do with the movie itself, I’m fine with people skipping them. That said… I really enjoyed Guns Akimbo! I mean, how can someone not feel entertained by Daniel Radcliffe dressed in his robe with guns attached to his hands? Or by Samara Weaving taking a step up in craziness compared to Ready or Not? There’s no denying that this film is extremely violent, bloody, and it doesn’t shy away from having a clear social commentary. The latter is not only evident, but it undoubtedly demonstrates something everyone knows it’s true: Internet trolls are the worst! Actually, I wish Jason Lei Howden would have gone even further. There’s a lot of potential in a movie like this, and while it’s safely above average, it could have been at the top of the most entertaining films of the last few years. Still, I wholeheartedly love this take on a subject that everyone (online film critics especially) unfortunately has to deal with every day. A part of me wished it was real… Every time a “troll alert” was activated, that person would have to leave its comfortable, safe couch, and battle TO THE DEATH other online cowards in real-life… okay, maybe not that extreme, but you get my point. The action is as crazy as the concept itself. It goes by without saying, but obviously, this is one of those flicks which asks the viewer to simply accept and enjoy the unrealistic, far-fetched, no-way-he-could-have-survived-that action. The camera work (cinematography by Stefan Ciupek) suits the videogame-style employed by the action, and even though some sequences are admittedly way too over-the-top, the majority of these scenes are either pure entertainment or truly hilarious. Oh, and Michael Bay, if you’re reading this: Guns Akimbo gives a neat demo on how to make explosions look really cool AND advance the narrative. The two leads are fantastic and share great chemistry. Daniel Radcliffe has been doing some overlooked/underrated work post-Harry Potter (definitely check out Swiss Army Man), and he’s very funny throughout the whole runtime. On the opposite side, Samara Weaving apparently found his comfort zone in portraying completely lunatic, insane psychopaths. Both deliver incredibly entertaining performances, carrying the whole movie through all of its wild action and comedic bits. Jason Lei Howden isn’t able to control the film’s pacing very well, but it never becomes overwhelming. However, the tone is spot-on. Guns Akimbo never tries to be something more than what it actually is. It keeps the narrative simple and fun without complex layers or extreme romantic endeavors. It never says to the viewer, “I know the action is absurdly over-the-top, but here’s a really emotional scene that you’re supposed to care about”. It’s an entertainment-driven story with no real emphasis on character development, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Guns Akimbo is the craziest movie of 2020, so far. Jason Lei Howden doesn’t hold back on the brutal, violent, bloody, extremely over-the-top action, and as long as the viewer is able to accept this purposefully unrealistic depiction of a real-life videogame death-match, it’s a blast of pure entertainment. The social message is evident, and it’s perfectly suited for today’s online trolls, who hide behind their monitor. Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving are amazing together, both delivering hilarious performances. Unfortunately, this film doesn’t reach its full potential. It lacks control of its pacing, but I genuinely wish Howden would have gone all-out regarding the social thematic. It’s a good, fun movie, but it could have great. Still, it’s undoubtedly a recommendation of mine, unless the (dumb) controversy surrounding this film clouds your judgment. In this case, just skip it and let others enjoy it. Rating: B
Gimly2020-06-10
★ 5/10
I've made no secret about my opinions on Samara Weaving, but I was more than willing to give Guns Akimbo a chance anyway. I wouldn't say I regret that decision, but I was underwhelmed. I'm going to use a term here that I have not used unironically in... God, maybe, genuinely, over a decade, because I don't know how else to describe Guns Akimbo: Guns Akimbo is fuckin' tryhard. It's so desperately ~~edgy~~, in a way that tries to emulate works I do love, but goes too far too clumsily. I didn't hate it, at all, but I was very aware of what this movie was trying to be, where a better film might have kept me to entertained to notice. Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole.