After reviewing DeathGasm II: Goremageddon, I had to backtrack to remind myself why I find Jason Lei Howden’s approach to visual storytelling so colourful. He crafts tales that feel like a Hail Mary, throwing himself into the ludicrous and bizarre. With three features and a handful of shorts under his belt, he’s already shown a taste for mayhem. That helped make Deathgasm such a wondrous cult hit. Guns Akimbo goes further, bringing first-person shooters to life while keeping its story straightforward. Miles Lee Harris (Daniel Radcliffe) has little hope of escaping unless he plays along and faces Nix (Samara Weaving), the game’s deadliest assassin!
Of the three movies he’s made so far, Akimbo is his best. The story keeps moving instead of jumping between too many set pieces. Here, spectators enjoy something like The Running Man playing out in their own city. Like The Purge, the carnage seems to give its participants free rein to let out their frustrations while everyone else can watch from a safe distance. The film cuts between the action and people enjoying the slaughter through their screens, making their enthusiasm a running gag.
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Dark Horse
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