Kate is a new Netflix action thriller that features Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Huntress in Birds of Prey) as a ruthless criminal operative who is given less than 24 hours to exact her revenge.ARS TECHNICA The original version of this story appeared on Ars Technica. This trusted source for tech news, analysis, reviews and other information is a trusted source. Cond Nast, WIRED's parent company owns Ars.It seems that the streaming service is looking for a female John Wick character. However, it is harder than it appears. Then there was 2020's The Old Guard. Charlize Theron is the leader of an immortal band of mercenaries in a mission to exact revenge. Theron was great, but the film was not very good. Netflix just released Gunpowder Milkshake last month. It featured a great cast and had all the right elements including impressive fight choreography. As with The Old Guard there was no magic, and Karen Gillan seemed unsuited for the role. Gunpowder Milkshake felt flat and predictable. It was a exercise in style over substance.Kate's basic plot is familiar. It's a twist on 1950 noir film noir D.O.A. in which an ordinary accountant and notary public walks into a police station to claim that he has been poisoned. He only has a few days to live, and must find out who killed him. The film is now in the public domain because someone didn't renew the copyright on the due date. Three direct remakes of the film were made: Color Me Dead in 1969, D.O.A. in 1988. The film starred Dennis Quaid, and Dead on Arrival in 2017. The film has had a profound influence on many others, including the 2006 film Crank in which Jason Statham plays an assassin from Britain who must keep his adrenaline levels high to avoid being poisoned.Kate looks like a mix of D.O.A. and Crank. According to the official premise, Kate is a meticulous and skilled assassin who is at the top of her game. Uncharacteristically, Kate blows an assignment in Tokyo targeting a member the yakuza. She quickly realizes that she has been poisoned. This is a slow execution that leaves her with less than 24 hours to exact her revenge. Kate forms an unlikely bond as her body rapidly deteriorates and she bonds with the teenage daughter from one of her former victims.ContentIt's strange that filmmakers believe female assassins must bond with young girls in order to display their softer emotional side. Cedric Nicholas-Troyan, director, received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for his visual effects in Snow White and the Huntsman. He made his directorial debut with The Huntsman. This trailer shows that he put his background to great use with Kate. We will see if Nicolas Troyan can make this formula his own, despite the boring title.The Huntress was my favorite character from Birds of Prey. This is largely because Winstead's deadpan delivery which highlights both her single-minded determination and extreme social awkwardness, was the Huntress. This is an example: After removing several bad guys with her athleticism and efficiency, she turns to see her fellow hunters staring at her in awe. "What?" She says it, unaware of how badass she really is. Winstead could be a credible action star if Kate gives her the opportunity to show off that combination of skills.
