Picture this: You’re a child walking into a video store, a neon red OPEN sign welcomes you as rows and rows of VHS/DVD shelves take up the majority of the dark green carpet lining corner to corner. On a normal Friday night, you and your friend usually veer to the back to see if there are any copies of the latest video game releases. However, tonight is a different story; Tonight, you two are looking for a film that neither of you have heard of before. Something that just seemed to have slipped by, possibly due to being critically panned or never being released in theaters. It could be a schlocky horror film, a new animated film, or even a film with killer box art.
It’s at this moment that a film pops into the corner of your eye. Its box art is bright, colorful, and weird. The main character’s face takes up a quarter of the art, shocking you that this film has slipped by despite the popularity of the lead actor. As you comb the back of the box for info, you come to two possibilities: either the film is a cult classic in the making or a schlocky B-film that will at least be entertaining enough for a Friday night. Regardless, even if there are better options on that same shelf, you can’t help but want to give the film a try.
Guns Akimbo resonates that type of energy. It’s the type of film that, in the present, would catch someone’s eye while scrolling through the latest streaming releases because seeing Harry Potter with two pistols bolted to his hands will certainly raise some eyebrows. It’s even crazier that the film grew some notoriety two years prior to its release due to a set photo with Daniel Radcliffe, resulting in countless memes that obviously influenced a certain scene in the final product. It’s an odd situation that definitely peaked my interest as trailers and promotional content began coming out late last year. Sadly though, when it comes down to its actual quality, Guns Akimbo doesn’t really fit either the “cult-classic-in-the-making” or the “so bad it’s good” camp.
The surprisingly odd part about the premise is not even the “pistols bolted to Radcliffe’s hands” but really what leads up to it. Miles (Daniel Radcliffe) is a computer programmer who is unhappy with his life. Due to his job, and a recent breakup, he spends most of his free time drinking, wallowing in his own pity, and his new favorite pastime: internet trolling. However, he makes the mistake of trolling on the website for Skizm, an underground gladiatorial organization that streams deathmatches online to millions of people. Miles’ trolling ends up angering the heads of Skizm, resulting in them kidnapping him and bolting a pistol into each of his hands. Waking up confused and scared, he is sent a text with his challenge: kill Skizm’s number one contestant Nix (Samara Weaving) in twenty-four hours or die.
The film can’t be helped but be compared to 2016’s Nerve, a film with a very similar premise about an underground internet phenomenon that ultimately gets dangerous for the main character. The biggest differences are that Guns Akimbo is dumber, gorier, and thankfully doesn’t take itself as seriously as Nerve. It certainly is a schlockier, B-movie take that works to its benefit and detriment at times more so than if it attempted to use its premise to be preachy or profound. If it had taken itself seriously, it would’ve soured even the best part of the film for me.
In this case, the best part of the film are Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving’s performances. They are truly the heart of the film, taking a script ranging from predictable to cringeworthy and elevating it to the point of making even bad lines work. Radcliffe’s straight man getting thrown into a crazy situation leads to some funny moments. Watching him struggle with everyday tasks due to the pistols leads to silly moments that are funnier solely because of Radcliffe’s commitment. The same goes for Weaving’s Nix, a coked-up killer with a tragic backstory that honestly has some of the worst lines of the film. However, Weaving’s raw energy and commitment to the character leads to her scenes being fun for most of the film, showing yet another example as to why Weaving deserves to be a bigger actress than she currently is.
Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that the ensemble is bad, ranging from over-the-top to fine with a dash of fun from Rhys Darby. It’s just that, with all that said, Radcliffe and Weaving are truly the only real reason to give the film a shot. The film’s action starts off nauseating but ends alright, the script is juvenile and emotionally lacking, the visuals tend to feel like they’re overcompensating (excluding Miles’ pistol ammo count which I liked throughout the whole film), and, when it comes down to it, the premise feels like it would’ve worked better as a short film than feature length. I enjoyed my time enough with Guns Akimbo but I’d be lying if I said I’ll still remember the film by next week.
Overall, Guns Akimbo is a forgettable film that is fun enough due to the charisma and commitment of the film’s two main actors. It’s a film that wants to thrive on its comedic, dark world yet only reaches surface level appeal that would probably not entice viewers to return for any sequels. I’m a big fan of Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving but they’re not enough to make this good; Just enjoyable enough to make a Friday night go by. In the end, Guns Akimbo is the type of film that grabs more viewers with its box art than its actual quality. There are certainly worse films out there but unless you’re willing to digest anything with Radcliffe and Weaving, I think it might be best to check a different shelf and watch something else.
In terms of the special features, while lacking, they're pretty standard and understandable when discussing the "high points" of the film. They consist of:
Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Jason Lei Howden
“Welcome to SKIZM” Featurette
“Nix vs. Dane Stunt Sequence Exploration” Featurette
Film Rating: 2.5/5
Special Features Rating: 2.5/5