“Fun factoid, guns are way louder than in the movies. In real life, Rambo would not be killing guerilla fighters, he would be learning sign language.”

Miles

Continuing Radcliffe’s trend of selecting eccentric roles, Guns Akimbo is a boisterously deranged flick about underground games of murder streamed to viewers online. It draws inspiration from a wide range of sources: the vicious setups of Saw, the comicbook hyperviolence of Kick-Ass, the videogame-inspired visual effects of Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and the audience commentary of The Truman Show. These ingredients are mixed rather than blended, creating an off-kilter concoction that never quite forms a cohesive whole. Guns Akimbo is designed to be enjoyed, so there is little room for self-reflection or meaning behind its violence, save for a nod to the typically preposterous romance in this style of movie (“this isn’t a love story about some nerd trying to get the girl like she’s an Xbox achievement to be unlocked”). If you switch off your brain there is enough to enjoy on the ridiculous ride but, whilst its specific combination of influences seems fresh, Guns Akimbo has nothing to offer which hasn’t been done with greater artistry before.

5/10