Get ready for another action film you can stream for the comfort of your own couch! Kate is about to debut on the big red streaming service and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the titular character. The thriller was directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and also features Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, and Michiel Huisman.
In Kate, an assassin is poisoned and has 24 hours to get vengeance on her murderer before she dies. The action flick will be available to stream on Netflix on September 10, and the review embargo has officially been lifted. Let’s check out what critics are saying.
Let’s start with the CinemaBlend side, as always. Our very own Eric Eisenberg really enjoyed Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s kick-ass performance in the film and enjoyed the action flick overall, rating it 3 out of 5 stars. He argued that the main reason to watch Kate is to see Winstead’s dynamite performance, and he praised the cinematography of the action sequences as well. But Eisenberg was frustrated with how familiar the screenplay is, noting that it includes every cliche of the “hired killer” storyline that we’ve seen before. He commented:
The story tracks, it’s well paced, and it does make some valid attempts at commentary regarding exploitation and colonization, but it’s mostly just a collection of basic plot points wrapped around excellent set pieces.
Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter also touched on the familiar aspect of Kate in her review. She argued that while the action film is entertaining, it borrows from so many other action movies that it’s hard to ignore. She noted that you can map out the entire end of the thriller just based on the first two minutes. Han said:
Kate wears its influences like borrowed clothes, never quite managing to develop a style or voice that feels wholly its own.
Laura Sirikul from IGN thought Kate fell short with its lack of originality and unfortunate Asian tropes. Sirikul thought the film could’ve made up for its predictable plot if it had some exhilarating action, but she was disappointed with the boring action sequences. Overall, she said:
Kate is predictable, somewhat triggering, and boring, filled with uninspiring action sequences.
Charles Bramesco from AV Club was disappointed, like previous critics, that Kate borrowed so much from other action films. He particularly compared the thriller to this summer’s Gunpowder Milkshake, noting that they had pretty much the same plot. Bramesco noted:
Even if the combat choreography that made this vein of cinema so popular is up to snuff, and Winstead does handle her steps ably even as her character breaks down, this film should aspire to be more than a delivery system for a few solid shootouts.
Amy Nicholson from Variety had a bit more positive opinion of Kate. Nicholson appreciated that Winstead played Kate as a human, instead of a “femmebot executioner dressed in latex or pigtails” like we’ve seen before. She also enjoyed the excellent action sequences. But she argued that Winstead’s more natural, human-like performance really butts heads with the movie’s style, which is too exaggerated. Nicholson thought that Nicolas-Troyan’s Tokyo is just “goofball caricatures.” She noted:
It's somewhat obvious to Nicolas-Troyan that the audience doesn’t really care. He just has to shoot enough stylish battles to get his film to the end credits, a quest for completion Kate herself would understand.
Well, critics' reviews seem pretty mixed. But you can soon form your own opinion of Kate when the action thriller releases on Netflix next Friday, September 10.
In the meantime, you can prepare for your next movie-watching experience with our release guide.
