From the outside looking in, one might say that Daniel Radcliffe’s movies are getting weirder and stranger. Considering the roles he’s taken on lately though, it’s important to remember that he gained international stardom by playing a wizard, which itself is fairly odd. Now though, he’s doing movies that most Hollywood stars probably wouldn’t touch, as they’re so far out of leftfield that it’s almost hard to believe some of them even get produced. Onf of his latest ventures for example, Guns Akimbo, is one of the last things he’d be expected to do, and yet, that’s now just Daniel being Daniel.
Guns Akimbo is a movie that takes the current day phenomena of live-streaming to the extreme. In this alternate reality, an illegal organization known as Skizm, livestreams death matches between members of the underground criminal world. Daniel Craig plays ‘Miles’, a computer programmer who spends much of his time trolling online. Miles has his world turned upside down when he decides to log onto the Skizm forum and begins taunting the viewers of the livestream. This prompts a visit from Riktor who runs Skizm, who knocks Miles out and bolts guns to his hands, and upon waking from the attack, Miles is then forced into a cat and mouse scenario that is ‘do or die’.
Looking for a movie that’s going to make critics rave and the world rejoice at its brilliance? That’s not going to happen with Guns Akimbo.
Looking for a movie that’s going to make critics rave and the world rejoice at its brilliance? That’s not going to happen with Guns Akimbo. This movie takes ridiculous absurdity to unseen heights. To be clear though, that’s not a bad thing. This movie is MEANT to be over the top. Its aim is to be absurd and downright impossible. Entertainment is the key focus, and entering it with an open mind, there’s no doubt that will happen. The camera work is a mixture of hard cuts, close shots, and quick pans. The style of the film is like a video game and comic book mixed together, and the music integration almost gives off the vibe that this movie could’ve been made in a different time period. The fight scenes are well choreographed, even if it’s unrealistic, but again, that’s the point. The performance of Daniel Radcliffe also isn’t lacking. As most of his fans are used to seeing him wave a wand and save the day, this is a chance to see him as a bit more of a helpless character that has to find his courage. Samara Weaving as ‘Nix’ is also fun and will likely be seen more as a result of her work in this, and Ned Dennehy as a villain does not disappoint.
The refreshing aspect of Guns Akimbo is its originality, and even more so that Radcliffe is the lead to even consider doing these movies. He’s slowly but surely building a legacy of helming new work, which is important. Only so many remakes/reboots can be produced before the industry loses its steam. Daniel Radcliffe is leading the way on new work, and he can’t be faulted for that.
