Luke McWilliams gives his review of the 2021 action film, Kate, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Woody Harrelson.

In Osaka, Japan, Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) assassinates a yakuza boss in front of his young daughter Ani (Miku Martineau). Disturbed by this breach of her ethics, Kate tells her mentor and handler Varrick (Woody Harrelson) that she wishes to retire. Varrick gives Kate her final mission: she is fatally poisoned and must use her last 24 hours to find her murderer!

There is a plethora of movies that detail the consequences of assassins who wish to retire after a resurgence of morality. Such career changes are usually sparked by the appearance of a child, which symbolises a chance of redemption to put a stop to the cyclical nature of those in the business.

Kate uses all the tropes in the assassin genre, features brutal mixed martial arts à la the John Wick series, and tips its hat to 1950 film noir, D.O.A. The action is set against the beautiful neo-noir backdrop of Japan, referencing Manga-inspired origins.

Giving it her all physically and emotionally, Winstead’s Kate looks progressively worse for wear as she carves a bloody path through Osaka to seek revenge and atonement for a life poorly lived. Miku Martineau as Ani is great as the sassy sidekick. Both charming and brooding, Ani’s soul is tenderly balanced between the pull of forgiveness and vengeance.

Verdict: While the story is easy to pick, Kate uses the tropes of a well-trodden genre to deliver a beautifully cinematic actioner with a raw emotional core. 4 stars.

Kate is streaming on Netflix.

• Luke McWilliams | themovieclub.net  

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