Review | Netflix movie review: Kate – Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays action heroine in Tokyo-set thriller by John Wick producers
- When Winstead’s character discovers she’s been fatally poisoned, she has 24 hours to solve and avenge her own murder, with the help of mentor Woody Harrelson
- But there is little of substance in Kate to genuinely impress audiences and it brings nothing new to the table save for its exotic Japanese locales
2.5/5 stars
From the producers of John Wick, Atomic Blonde and Nobody comes yet another tautly choreographed lone-wolf beat ’em-up, in which an overpopulated criminal underworld is ravaged by the virtuous vengeance of a highly skilled outsider.
Kate stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the eponymous assassin operating in Japan, who discovers she has been fatally poisoned and has just 24 hours to solve and avenge her own murder. Woody Harrelson and newcomer Miku Patricia Martineau co-star alongside a raft of notable Japanese performers including Tadanobu Asano, Jun Kunimura and Miyavi.
Emphasising realistic fight sequences over razzle-dazzle special effects, the results have sired a string of visceral, bone-crunching thrillers that have struck a chord with traditional action and martial arts fans alike, who have become increasingly disenchanted by the dominance of flashy superhero spectacle.