Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

Writer:  Umair Aleem

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Muchiel Huisman and Tadanaobu Asano

Rating: ★★★

Kate is the latest revenge action film, that’s just been released on Netflix. Is stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim) as Kate, an assassin who is poisoned with only a day left to live and starts down a trail of revenge to find out why she was poisoned and kill those responsible. The story feels fairly standard and there aren’t any surprises in store. There’s still a decent amount of action and the film is entertaining enough.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who was last seen in Birds of Prey, gives a great performance as Kate. She’s completely believable as an assassin. The action looks great, and the film only works because she is so good in her role. Miku Martineau is also great as Ani, the teenager caught up in everything with a life that is starting to mirror Kate’s. Their bonding is on of the highlights of the film. Woody Harrelson is good in his limited role but is barely in the film and it feels like it’s more of a payday for him than anything else.

One of the best things about Kate is a the amount of great energy and stylish flairs throughout the story. The colours and neon lights look great, and the action is incredibly well shot. This doesn’t feel like a cheap action film, it’s clear that a lot of effort went into the choreography, and it really paid off. The fight sequences are tense and look incredible. Saying this, Kate does feel invincible at points, which is a problem with most one-person action films. The yakuza are really bad shots and she barely gets hit, and even when something does connect her handy adrenaline shot keeps her going as if nothing’s happened.

There’s a pulsating soundtrack that adds to the octane action, with a blend of and Japanese rock and idol music. Band-Maid also make an appearance at one pivotal moment in the plot. It’s a great soundtrack and there are a few songs that’ll be added to my playlist in the near future.

There isn’t really anything in this film that’s new. It feels like a mishmash of things you’ve seen before. There’s a lot of John Wick here and the ‘twist’ at the end is so obvious from almost the first second. The story is full of cliches and plot beats that you’re just waiting to happen. Thankfully the energy of the film makes this bearable.  

Kate is a stylish action film that borrows a lot of elements from films before. The visuals pop on the screen, the choreography for the fight scenes is excellent and Winstead gives a great performance. The film does feel overdone by the final sequence and there’s no real twists, but there’s still some fun to be had.