Parents' Guide to

Die in a Gunfight

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Likable but lifeless "Romeo and Juliet" update; guns, blood.

Movie R 2021 92 minutes
Die in a Gunfight Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In DIE IN A GUNFIGHT, two powerful media families, the Gibbons and the Rathcarts, have been feuding for generations. Ben Gibbon (Diego Boneta) and Mary Rathcart (Alexandra Daddario) are deeply in love but have been kept apart for years by forces beyond their control. They come back into each other's lives at just the wrong moment, a whirlwind of violence swirling around them, as they prepare to marry and leave the country. A Rathcart flunkie, Terrence (Justin Chatwin), is obsessed with Mary and will stop at nothing, even murder, to win her. But an assassin named Wayne (Travis Fimmel), who's in the middle of his own tragic love story, also comes into the picture. Can the loving couple survive long enough to earn their happy ending?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

For all of its colorful characters and attempts at comic book coolness, this violence-infused, star-crossed romance ultimately feels even less than lightweight. It feels as if it's about nothing at all. Notable for having been named to the Hollywood "Black List" in 2010 -- a list of the best unproduced screenplays -- Die in a Gunfight seems as if it perhaps read better in print form than it plays out on the screen. One of the best characters, Mukul (Wade Allain-Marcus), is the Mercutio equivalent, loyal to Ben's Romeo. He has some wonderful line readings, almost musical, and yet none of them really come to anything. He's not even relevant to the story.

Another great character is Wayne (Fimmel), whose partner in crime is Barbie (Emmanuelle Chriqui). He has some wonderfully intense moments, far more powerful than anything in the main story, and yet he feels marginalized. At least Daddario brings a wide-eyed excitement to her character, as Mary begins to hope for the future and to believe that happiness is possible. Otherwise, Die in a Gunfight attempts to do the same thing that Romeo + Juliet did far better in 1996, and ultimately feels irrelevant. As likable as it sometimes is, it comes across as a vague outline of Shakespeare's play, with place markers instead of plot turns.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Die in a Gunfight's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How are alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs depicted? Does the movie make them look cool? Are there any consequences shown? Why does that matter?

  • How is sex depicted? Are there positive emotions involved? What values are imparted?

  • How does the movie compare to Romeo and Juliet? What characters or situations are similar? How are they different?

  • What do you think the ending means? Did Ben learn anything? If so, what?

Movie Details

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