9 Bullets Review: Actioner Is A Bewildering Misfire
Gypsy (Headey), a tough-as-nails burlesque dancer who is writing a memoir, is the focus of the film. When a buddy, Ralph (Zachary Mooren), calls one night in a panic because he and his family are in danger, she is about to go on a new path of self-discovery and reinvention. Ralph has stolen an iPad with bank codes, putting him in the sights of a gang leader named Jack (Sam Worthington). Gypsy's nasty ex, Jack, is a career criminal who threatens to shoot defenceless dogs. Gypsy and Ralph's son sam (Dean Scott Vazquez) must now flee from Jack's men, who are constantly pursuing them.
9 Bullets begins with a weird and confusing set-up that is both hilarious and foreshadowing of what is to come in the rest of the movie. It begins with wistful views of a woman reminiscing on her porch as she looks inside a box of memories. Gypsy, played by Headey, declares to the heavens that she would not "f*ck it up" before the film turns to her final burlesque show. Ralph urgently phones his little son and informs him that there is an emergency and that he must flee. Ralph's wife and, presumably, his mother-in-law are shot to death in their car while Ralph calls Gypsy for assistance in stopping Jack.
The cutting and framing of this entire episode is done in such a haphazard manner that the film's creation must have been rushed. It would be even more disheartening to believe this is a purposefully created endeavour.