If you know Lena Headey as the witty and terrifying Cercei from Game of Thrones and are expecting a film to match her acting abilities, you will be sorely disappointed by 9 Bullets. Headey deserves far better material than this, although she makes the most of what she has.
Gigi Gaston
9 Bullets, written and directed by Gigi Gaston, follows Gypsy (Headey) and Sam (Dean Scott Vazquez) on the run after Sam's family are brutally murdered by Gyspy's ex, Jack (Sam Worthington), for taking his money. Sam's father calls Gypsy asking her to find and help his son, and a reluctant but understanding Gypsy packs the young boy and his dog in her car to drive across the USA to bring him to his uncle, who is as reluctant as Gyspy for this responsibility.
Haphazardly edited shots of their Santa Clarita neighborhood establish the close proximity these characters all happen to live in, and our first scene is of Gypsy telling someone in the sky she won't “fuck it up this time” (this line and whoever is in the photograph are not explained properly at any point). Well, she was the only saving grace in this film.
A retiring burlesque dancer who is embarrassingly closed off, Gypsy talks repeatedly of how she is planning to catch a cruise to finish her book, the details of which she keeps under wraps to both the audience and Sam. Over the course of their cross country chase we see Gypsy warm to Sam, though the fact this is mostly after he reveals his skills as a cryptocurrency prodigy undermines what is meant to be a heartwarming message. However, just as the character becomes completely unlikable, a tragic backstory gives a supposed explanation but doesn't quite redeem her or the writing.
Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington's portrayal of Jack is as lacking as the writing. His political ambitions are laughable for a greasy cowboy character in California, and we learn very little about him. His threat is (far too) clearly reiterated, but the performance, lines, and look of Jack do little to back this up and change him from a strange caricature to a threatening villain. Perhaps it was just hard to look past how out of place this character and his clueless henchmen were in this film.
9 Bullets is largely guilty of giving actors lines which are just nothing anyone would ever say, and having many moments which simply don't make sense. The police just don't seem to exist, and while their corruption is hinted at to explain the first murders, it makes less and less sense the more that goes wrong and the further from Santa Clarita our protagonists venture. The soundtrack and cinematography give enough for a warm road movie, but the plot and dialogue let it down completely.
It may take 9 bullets to kill Gyspy, but for Lena Headey it took a Game of Thrones. It is such a pity as Headey has so much more to offer as an actress, but her and countless of her costars, particularly the women, have fallen victim to the disappointing finale of Game of Thrones. That this is what she has been working on is as tragic as the writing, and 9 Bullets is entirely disappointing.
9 Bullets will release in the UK on streaming platforms on June 13, 2022.
