NETFLIX Review: 'Kate' running out of time, and ideas

Netflix, 2021.

An assassin with a heart of gold (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has less than 24 hours to live, so she uses her finite time on the planet to take down as many of her enemies as she can.

That's the elevator pitch for "Kate," and despite some stylish action, this is an all-too-familiar thrill ride devoid of any real thrills...a film that will remind you of other films but that doesn't quite rise above any of them.

Grade: C

Kate (Winstead) is an assassin who is just wanting to have a normal life. She carries out a mission on behalf of her mentor, Varrick (Woody Harrelson, collecting a paycheck), but there is a complication: The target's daughter, Ani (Miku Patricia Martineau), was not supposed to be there when Kate pulls the trigger. Kate forms an unlikely bond, but before Kate knows it, she wakes up only to realize that she's been poisoned, and has less than 24 hours to live. Well, let the revenge commence then, we haven't much time!

Films like this tend to take themselves way too seriously, and "Kate" is no exception. If there was some level of humor, a tongue-in-cheek vibe or an occasional wink to the audience to lighten the mood, it would be a more enjoyable film. Instead, the action pieces supply most of the energy and adrenaline. An opening car chase on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo has promise, until the car violently crashes-and-burns in an explosion of cheap CG. That's pretty much "Kate" in a nutshell.

Movies like this don't usually deliver deeply thought-out plots, and "Kate" definitely doesn't break the mold in this regard. All can usually be forgiven though, if the characters are cool enough, or if the action feels memorable enough. But like the poison flowing through Kate's veins, most of the impact this movie will have will run its course quite quickly.

If you enter "Kate" with low expectations, you might be satisfied. Otherwise there are better ways to spend your time, whether you have 24 hours to live or a lifetime.

Grade: C

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime.
Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes.
Rated R.

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, Miku Patricia Martineau, Michael Huisman.
Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan ("The Huntsman: Winter's War").

​"Kate" is available on Netflix on Friday, September 10th, 2021.