Kate – Netflix Review (4/5)

KATE on Netflix is an intense and wild ride of an action-thriller. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is perfect in the title role. Overall, the entire cast is really great and the action scenes are breathtaking. Even the story works. Read our Kate movie review here and check it out on Netflix!

KATE is a new Netflix action-thriller about a female assassin who realizes she’s poisoned and has 24 hours left to live. At the most. Obviously, she wants to find out who has killed her and get revenge before she dies.

The cast features Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, and the young Miku Patricia Martineau. Everyone in the cast of this movie delivers exactly what it requires. A comparison to both John Wick and Atomic Blonde wouldn’t be wrong. Especially since the action scenes are truly amazing!

Continue reading our Kate movie review below.

Not about survival, just straight-up revenge

Because Kate has been poisoned, there’s no point in talking about survival. She has been murdered in a way that’s truly brutal (and very Chernobyl-like), so there is no hope for her. However, that doesn’t mean she should just wait for death to come. Hell no, Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) needs revenge.

After a life of being an assassin – she was “recruited” at a very young age – this is the obvious and only course of action.

It’s actually sort of refreshing to see such a badass female character who has no desire to be soft or likable. Hell, she doesn’t even have to worry about being safe. She is very literally a dead woman walking. Still, she does need to work all her connections and allies to find out who has ordered her hit before she’s dead.

More Mary Elizabeth Winstead, please!

I’ve always liked Mary Elizabeth Winstead and the portrayal of the title character in Kate is no exception. She was also in the Harley Quinn movie Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipations of One Harley Quinn (2020) as “The Huntress”. In other words, action scenes where she’s a skilled fighter are not new to her.

In fact, Birds of Prey also introduced Jurnee Smollett in a kick-ass action role as “Black Canary”. She then went on to play one of the leads in Lovecraft Country which were truly a kick-ass series.

To me, Mary Elizabeth Winstead first made a huge impact with her starring role in 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016). I mean, sure, I know she was in Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) and in Death Proof (2007). Hell, she was John McClane’s daughter in both Die Hard 4.0 (2007) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). Still, to me, 10 Cloverfield Lane was a defining role of hers.

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Our review of 10 Cloverfield Lane here >

Along with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, you’ll see Woody Harrelson in a key role as Kate’s mentor and handler. This is a classic Woody role, but not as comedy-heavy as the Zombieland-movies nor as dark as True Detective. Somewhere in between the two. A bit more like his character in The Hunger Games.

Finally, Miku Patricia Martineau managed to make a huge and profound impact on me as the young, but fierce, Ani.  Hopefully, we’ll see Miku Patricia Martineau in more movies soon!

Watch Kate on Netflix now!

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan is the director of Kate while the screenplay was written by Umair Aleem. This is only the second movie written by Umair Aleem after the 2015 debut with Extraction.

Prior to directing this Netflix action-thriller, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan directed The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016). That particular movie starred Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain. Basically, my point is that he’s used to working with actors in kick-ass female roles, which comes across in this one as well.

If you like watching bloody action movies with an intriguing plot and brilliant fight scenes, then Kate is definitely for you.

Kate is out on Netflix from September 10, 2021.

Details

Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson