2022
WISE Score
Lena Headey does her best to carry this generic 'protector on the run' thriller, but the script is shooting blanks.
5.3
5.3View →Unless you're a die-hard Lena Headey fan who needs to see every project she touches, you can probably skip this one.
It’s a mediocre B-movie that tries to be 'The Professional' but lacks the style and heart. For parents, it's a hard pass for family night—it's too grim for the kids and too predictable for the adults.
If you're looking for a 'woman-on-a-mission' story, there are much better versions of this story out there that don't feel quite so derivative.
This is strictly for adults or late teens. Between the trauma of the opening scene and the R-rated grit, there's nothing here for the younger crowd.
The central relationship involves a woman risking her life for a child, which provides a thin layer of redemption, but the context is rooted in the criminal underworld and trauma.
This is a standard 'protector on the run' trope seen in better films like 'Leon: The Professional' or 'Gloria.' It offers very little in terms of original world-building or creative storytelling.
Rated R for violence and language. The movie opens with the cold-blooded murder of a child's parents, which is a major trigger/safety concern for younger viewers. It includes burlesque themes and gritty crime elements.
While it touches on themes of sacrifice and choosing a better path, it doesn't offer much intellectual or emotional depth beyond the surface-level thrills of a B-movie.
If you are considering this movie, it is likely because of the lead actress. She brings a jagged, defensive edge to the role of Gypsy that feels authentic, even when the dialogue around her feels like it was pulled from a generic thriller generator. She plays a former burlesque dancer turned author who has to tap into her old life to protect a kid. She carries the film with a weary, cigarette-strained energy that almost makes you believe in the stakes.
The problem is that the script doesn't give her enough to work with. We have seen the "reluctant protector" story done with more style and much higher stakes elsewhere. When you compare this to the gold standards of the genre, 9 Bullets feels thin. It is a 96-minute sprint that somehow feels slower because we can see every plot beat coming from a mile away. It is a mid thriller that relies entirely on a single performance to keep it from fading into the background.
The film does not ease you in. It starts with the violent murder of a young boy’s family, which is a bleak way to kick things off. For a parent, this is the moment where you decide if the movie is worth the emotional tax. The violence isn't stylized or "cool" in a superhero sense; it is meant to be grounded and traumatic.
If your teenager is a fan of gritty crime dramas, they might handle the opening fine, but the rest of the movie doesn't really reward that initial investment. The relationship between Gypsy and the boy is the emotional core, and while there are a few sweet moments, it often feels like the movie is checking boxes rather than building a real bond. The trauma of the kid witnessing his parents' death is heavy, yet the movie treats it as a standard plot engine rather than something to explore with any real depth.
The movie tries to use the burlesque background as a unique hook, but it is mostly aesthetic rather than integral to the plot. It adds some adult-oriented costumes and settings that feel a bit disconnected from the gritty, dusty road-trip vibe of the rest of the film. It feels like the production was trying to add "edge" to a story that is actually quite sentimental at its heart.
This is the kind of movie that fills a slot on a streaming service when you have already seen the hits. It is functional, somewhat grim, and ultimately predictable. If your kid is into the "one person against the world" vibe, they have probably already seen better versions of this. Unless you are a completionist who needs to see every project the lead actress touches, this one is a safe skip. There are more inventive ways to spend 96 minutes.
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