Violent movies are nothing new to cinema. In fact, when done well, there’s an undeniably visceral thrill to seeing unspeakable acts in real life perpetrated in film. Video games have made a literal fortune with this sort of content, be it any number of shooting games, the Grand Theft Auto franchise, etc. Opening this week, the action comedy Guns Akimbo tries to merge the two formats, while attempting to satirize our silence obsessed culture. Unfortunately, it’s so ineptly handled that it comes closer to being offensive than it does to being a biting satire. This is one of 2020’s worst efforts, by far. (Editors Note: this is written independently of the film’s director Jason Lei Howden engaging in troubling online behavior. His Twitter rants are reprehensible, though not taken into account here. The flick is bad of its own accord) The movie imagines a world where a game called Skizm has taken the country by storm. Social media users flock to their screens to watch two individuals fight to the death, as it all gets telecast like gladiatorial combat. Miles (Daniel Radcliffe) has no interest in it, but he does love trolling users online. However, one night he gets drunk and trolls on Skizm’s message board to the point where it gets the game’s head Riktor (Ned Dennehy) to pay him a visit. Being as Riktor is a murderous gang leader and Skizm is a front for their plan to take over the world, he doesn’t take too kindly to it. Miles is beaten, waking up the next day with guns nailed to both of his hands. Soon, he learns that he’s the next contestant in the game, facing off with Nix (Samara Weaving) the deadliest and most popular player. Nix is told that she’ll be given her freedom once Miles is dead, setting her off on what she thinks will be the easiest kill of her life. Of course, things are not that simple. Jason Lei Howden writes and directs, with cinematography by Stefan Ciupek and a score from Enis Rotthoff. Supporting players include Rhys Darby, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and more. Admittedly, the concept here has potential. It’s just the execution (no pun intended) that leaves so much to be desired. Howden’s screenplay and frenetic direction destroy any chance of Daniel Radcliffe or Samara Weaving, both talented performers, from making anything of it. Again, a story set in a […]