The Girl and the Gun – Netflix Review (4/5)

THE GIRL AND THE GUN on Netflix is a crime-thriller from the Philippines (org. title Babae at baril). Overall, this could easily be described as a revenge thriller, but – to me – it’s more of a revelation experience. Read our full The Girl and the Gun movie review here!

THE GIRL AND THE GUN is a new Netflix crime-thriller that is quite literally about a girl and a gun. Both the two together and the separate story of how they ended up “meeting”.

This is a movie from the Philippines (org. title Babae at baril) which means the gender roles are even more grotesque than what we experience in the west. And yet, I expect most (if not all) women will be able to relate to the main protagonist in this Netflix movie.

Continue reading our The Girl and the Gun movie review below and be sure to check it out on Netflix. With a runtime of just 78 minutes, it’s a quick watch and it is never boring.

A woman fights back

When The Girl and the Gun first begins, we see the girl working in a department store and constantly having to listen to sh*t from other people. Mostly men. In general, it’s almost as if she doesn’t exist in her own right. As if she is only in this world to serve and assist others.

After a particularly horrible experience (she’s raped), she is yet again confronted with violence immediately thereafter. This is when she starts fighting back. To her surprise, the “strong and brave” men become timid and weak the second she speaks up and stands up for herself.

Obviously, it’s not that simple, but this is the gist of this story. And yes, this movie could easily be described as a feminist revenge thriller – which is an awesome subgenre, in its own right. However, I see The Girl and the Gun story as being more of a revelation experience. A coming-of-age story, where a young woman suddenly realizes that she can make her own choices!

The story of the gun

Right as we’re watching the girl realize that she has more power than anyone ever told her, the story of the girl takes a break. Instead, we’re introduced to the story of the gun. You see, it’s when she finds a gun that she realizes the power she possesses. She doesn’t even use the gun and she also grabs a broken bottle to defend herself soon thereafter.

The gun is simply the catalyst.

Furthermore, the gun isn’t just the catalyst for this particular girl. And that’s why we also get to see “the life of the gun” up until the point when the girl found it.

Personally, I enjoyed the story of the girl more, but I also really like the idea of following this object as it changes hands several times before ending up with her. It’s just a different kind of story. However, it does also help to describe the way of life in the Philippines. The girl isn’t the only one struggling to stand up for herself.

Watch The Girl and the Gun on Netflix now!

The Girl and the Gun was written and directed by Rae Red. This is her feature film debut as a solo director and she does an excellent job. Prior to making this film, she also co-wrote the screenplay for the horror movie Eerie which became a pretty big hit on Netflix.

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Our review of the Netflix horror movie Eerie from the Philippines >

Eerie was also a film production from the Philippines and became iconic because it terrified people. That one was directed (and co-written) by Rae Red’s cousin, Mikhail Red, who she’s worked with several times. With this new movie, she’s doing it on her own and the result is very impressive.

I would probably give this movie a strong 3½ out of 5, but since we don’t do half stars here, I’m going for the full 4 stars instead. The Girl and the Gun is definitely worth it in my book. In fact, I don’t think calling this the Filipino version of Promising Young Woman is going too far. It’s quite appropriate as a reference – even if the stories do differ quite a lot.

The Girl and the Gun (org. title Babae at baril) is out on Netflix from June 3, 2021.

Details

Director: Rae Red
Writer: Rae Red
Stars: Janine Gutierrez, Felix Roco, JC Santos, Elijah Canlas, Sky Teotico