Daniel Radcliffe has made quite a career for himself taking on roles that are the polar opposite of Harry Potter, after his stint as “the Boy Who Lived” wrapped up in 2011. And his newest movie is no exception. Directed by Jason Lei Howden, Guns Akimbo, looks like an over-the-top comedic action film where Radcliffe wears little more than a pair of guns bolted to his hands while fleeing a maniacal pursuer.
You can check out the trailer for Guns Akimbo down below:
Radcliffe plays Miles, an online game developer who somehow runs afoul of the (apparently totally crazy) guru behind an underground fight club known as Skizm. Miles gets controlled by by the crazies behind Skizm into a fight to the death that is, of course, being live-streamed. During the course of all of this, Miles has to evade the game’s most lethal killer, Nix. Nix is played by none other than Ready or Not’s Samara Weaving.
Below is the official synopsis for Guns Akimbo from Madman Films:
“Nerdy video game developer (Daniel Radcliffe) is a little too fond of stirring things up on the internet with his caustic, prodding, and antagonizing comments. One night, he makes the mistake of drunkenly dropping an inflammatory barb on a broadcast of Skizm, an illegal death-match fight club streamed live to the public. In response, Riktor (Ned Dennehy), the maniacal mastermind behind the channel, decides to force Miles’ hand (or hands, as it were) and have him join the “fun.” Miles wakes to find heavy pistols bolted into his bones, and learns Nix (Samara Weaving), the trigger-happy star of Skizm, is his first opponent.”
Madman Films
“Gleefully echoing elements of Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the Purge franchise, and video games like Mortal Kombat, Guns Akimbo is hilariously dark, viciously violent, and potentially — chillingly — prescient. Director Jason Lei Howden (Deathgasm) foretells of a future that may soon await us: drone-captured live feeds, UFC-like competitions pushed to an extreme, and online streaming platforms used for gladiatorial entertainment all around the world. As Miles navigates the underworld of Skizm, the stakes — and the ratings — have never been higher.”
Even though Scott Pilgrim is mentioned as an influence, this movie looks like it also owes a great debt to the filmography of Guy Ritchie. And it looks like it’s got more than a little bit of the Crank franchise in there too. It might appeal to the same crowd who loved the John Wick movies. But while those movies are bloody shoot outs, they seem to exude an air of sophistication that this movie definitely is not going for. But one thing’s for sure – there are lot of for whom this movie ticks all the boxes.
Guns Akimbo is set to be released on February 28th.
Featured Image: Madman Films