Charming and funny, a wonderfully sweet and silly mashup of spy stuff and high-school comedies, like if John Hughes made a James Bond movie. I’m “biast” (pro): desperate for movies about girls and women
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Here we go again. After Lila & Eve earlier this summer, here’s another example of a film that, if it were about a guy, would have gotten a big splashy release instead of being shuffled off to the land of VOD. (Arguably, American Ultra is sort of a guy version of this. That opened on 2,778 screens in North America. Barely Lethal opened on 22… after it had been on VOD for a month.) The fact that is stars Hailee Steinfeld, one of the most interesting young actors working today, and in a role that shows off comedy chops I don...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Here we go again. After Lila & Eve earlier this summer, here’s another example of a film that, if it were about a guy, would have gotten a big splashy release instead of being shuffled off to the land of VOD. (Arguably, American Ultra is sort of a guy version of this. That opened on 2,778 screens in North America. Barely Lethal opened on 22… after it had been on VOD for a month.) The fact that is stars Hailee Steinfeld, one of the most interesting young actors working today, and in a role that shows off comedy chops I don...
- 8/28/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Exclusive: Arclight, Ambi, Lakeshore deals among pick-ups.
UK distributor Signature Entertainment secured a raft of completed titles at the Cannes Marche for theatrical release, including Nicolas Cage thriller Dog Eat Dog from Arclight and action-comedy Barely Lethal - with Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Alba and Sophie Turner – from The Highland Film Group.
Paul Schrader directs Cage in crime-thriller Dog Eat Dog about three men recently released from prison who go on to commit the ‘perfect’ crime but find that their own circumstances, the system and the long arm of the law are never far from getting the better of them.
In Barely Lethal, True Grit actress Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death, she assumes the role of an exchange student and quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international...
UK distributor Signature Entertainment secured a raft of completed titles at the Cannes Marche for theatrical release, including Nicolas Cage thriller Dog Eat Dog from Arclight and action-comedy Barely Lethal - with Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Alba and Sophie Turner – from The Highland Film Group.
Paul Schrader directs Cage in crime-thriller Dog Eat Dog about three men recently released from prison who go on to commit the ‘perfect’ crime but find that their own circumstances, the system and the long arm of the law are never far from getting the better of them.
In Barely Lethal, True Grit actress Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death, she assumes the role of an exchange student and quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international...
- 6/8/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Barely Lethal
USA, 2015
Written by John D’Arco
Directed by Kyle Newman
The problems with the new action-comedy Barely Lethal start with its title. There’s something creepy afoot when a movie leads with a metaphorical elbow in the ribs, informing you that its protagonist is just old enough to kill you by using a pun which implies that she’s also just old enough to have sex with you. Every joke in the film has that same elbow-in-the-ribs quality, desperately trying to let you know how funny it is. Most of its claims to hilarity come up short.
Hailee Steinfeld (an Oscar nominee for the Coen Brothers’ True Grit) plays a nameless teenager raised from a young age to be a super-spy by the flinty Hardman (Samuel L. Jackson). But when a mission to apprehend a rogue arms dealer (Jessica Alba) goes wrong, she is able to fake her...
USA, 2015
Written by John D’Arco
Directed by Kyle Newman
The problems with the new action-comedy Barely Lethal start with its title. There’s something creepy afoot when a movie leads with a metaphorical elbow in the ribs, informing you that its protagonist is just old enough to kill you by using a pun which implies that she’s also just old enough to have sex with you. Every joke in the film has that same elbow-in-the-ribs quality, desperately trying to let you know how funny it is. Most of its claims to hilarity come up short.
Hailee Steinfeld (an Oscar nominee for the Coen Brothers’ True Grit) plays a nameless teenager raised from a young age to be a super-spy by the flinty Hardman (Samuel L. Jackson). But when a mission to apprehend a rogue arms dealer (Jessica Alba) goes wrong, she is able to fake her...
- 5/31/2015
- by Mark Young
- SoundOnSight
[Editor's Note: This post is presented in partnership with Time Warner Cable Movies On Demand in support of Indie Film Month. "Barely Lethal," is available now On Demand. Need help finding a movie to watch? Let TWC find the best fit for your mood here.] Read More: Watch: New Trailer, Poster and Images For 'Barely Lethal' With Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Alba and Samuel L. Jackson Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") stars as Megan Walsh and gets a serious wake up call in this clip from "Barely Lethal", as she tries her very best to fit in at high school and brutally fails (it must've had something to do with the double forehead braid). Her ill-tempered first-day buddy (Dove Cameron) is just one of the many obstacles Megan faces as she tries to maintain normalcy in her not-so normal life by faking her death to attend high school instead of training to become an international assassin. Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba...
- 5/31/2015
- by Sarah Choi
- Indiewire
It’s rare to find a film as plagued by identity issues as Barely Lethal. The title suggests a mash-up of Kick-Ass and Clueless, the sort of movie that might be made by someone brought up on a steady (if odd) diet of Tarantino and Hughes. In execution, though, Barely Lethal turns out to be about as edgy as a Disney Channel Original Movie, from the obligatory encounters with cliques to sweeping declarations of young love.
In of itself, that wouldn’t have to be a problem – director Kyle Newman clearly knows high school comedies well, and his film is perfectly serviceable fare as far as that genre goes. But Barely Lethal tries to be more, and that’s where it falls flat. From lifelessly shot car chases and shoddily staged fistfights to a half-hearted attempt to satirize the very kind of movie it ends up becoming, the film misses...
In of itself, that wouldn’t have to be a problem – director Kyle Newman clearly knows high school comedies well, and his film is perfectly serviceable fare as far as that genre goes. But Barely Lethal tries to be more, and that’s where it falls flat. From lifelessly shot car chases and shoddily staged fistfights to a half-hearted attempt to satirize the very kind of movie it ends up becoming, the film misses...
- 5/30/2015
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Teen action-comedy Barely Lethal is this summer's best film with a truly unfortunate title. Don't let the obnoxious marketing ("Click. Clique. Bang" — really?) fool you: Despite an out-of-left-field donkey-punch joke, Barely Lethal's combination of bawdy humor and earnest affection for its high-school-aged protagonists is surprisingly well-balanced. This film is so inoffensive that even its dick jokes could have been lifted from an especially blue episode of Bunheads. Barely Lethal emulates the recent 21 Jump Street films in its tongue-in-cheek meta-subversion of teen comedy tropes. The main difference is that this film is about a teenage assassin. Megan Walsh (True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld) flees from the Pr...
- 5/27/2015
- Village Voice
It's up to Hailee Steinfeld to stop an international arms deal… and finish her homework on time in the trailer for Barely Lethal.
When trained teen assassin Megan Walsh (Steinfeld) fakes her death to escape the international espionage agency that raised her, she enrols in high school to stay hidden.
It's not long before Megan finds herself back in the field again when an international arms deal threatens global security, but can she balance being a spy with passing her math test?
Samuel L Jackson taps into his inner-Nick Fury again to play Megan's handler, and her closest friend is Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.
Filmmaker Kyle Newman makes the jump from directing music videos for Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey to the big screen with the spy comedy.
Barely Lethal opens in select Us theatres and VOD services on May 29 in the Us with a PG-13 rating,...
When trained teen assassin Megan Walsh (Steinfeld) fakes her death to escape the international espionage agency that raised her, she enrols in high school to stay hidden.
It's not long before Megan finds herself back in the field again when an international arms deal threatens global security, but can she balance being a spy with passing her math test?
Samuel L Jackson taps into his inner-Nick Fury again to play Megan's handler, and her closest friend is Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner.
Filmmaker Kyle Newman makes the jump from directing music videos for Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey to the big screen with the spy comedy.
Barely Lethal opens in select Us theatres and VOD services on May 29 in the Us with a PG-13 rating,...
- 4/28/2015
- Digital Spy
A second trailer for teenage assassin comedy Barely Lethal has arrived online. After a long distribution delay, Kyle Newman’s latest offering is gunning down a VOD and theatrical opening this spring, and now’s as good a time as any to get yourself acquainted with the movie.
Hailee Steinfeld stars as a Hit Girl type called Megan Walsh, who was raised as a highly-skilled special ops assassin. When she weighs up the pros and cons of her dangerous livelihood, she opts to throw down her weapons and study up on the rules of high school etiquette. And from what we can gather, this newest tease doesn’t offer a whole lot more insight than the first trailer. Steinfeld’s affable, smart teen is taken down a peg or two by Samuel L. Jackson’s mentor figure and the chaos begins.
On the basis of its strongest selling points – a...
Hailee Steinfeld stars as a Hit Girl type called Megan Walsh, who was raised as a highly-skilled special ops assassin. When she weighs up the pros and cons of her dangerous livelihood, she opts to throw down her weapons and study up on the rules of high school etiquette. And from what we can gather, this newest tease doesn’t offer a whole lot more insight than the first trailer. Steinfeld’s affable, smart teen is taken down a peg or two by Samuel L. Jackson’s mentor figure and the chaos begins.
On the basis of its strongest selling points – a...
- 4/24/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Read More: Hailee Steinfeld to Play Carrie Pilby in Ya Adaptation If Matthew Vaughn's box office hit "Kingsman: The Secret Service" proved anything earlier this year, it's that audiences never get too tired of a cocky-teenager-turned-kickass-assassin storyline. While such a character is a staple of young-adult spy movies, director Kyle Newman and star Hailee Steinfeld are shaking the genre up in this summer's action-comedy "Barely Lethal." Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a ruthless teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death and assuming the role of an exchange student, the agent quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international espionage. "Barely Lethal' co-stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Sophie Turner, Dove Cameron and Thomas Mann. The film will be available on DirectTV beginning April 30. A theatrical...
- 4/24/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Hailee Steinfeld is a spy-turned-schoolgirl in a trailer for the upcoming comedy Barely Lethal.
Barely Lethal centres on orphan Megan Walsh (Steinfeld) being trained through her childhood to become a spy.
Walsh chooses to abandon her first mission to capture arms dealer Victoria Knox (Jessica Alba) in order to enroll in high school, but soon finds that she can't quite leave the past behind.
Samuel L Jackson portrays the spymaster who trained Megan, while Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner is a fellow agent.
Barely Lethal director Kyle Newman has previously helmed The Hollow, and worked on music videos for Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey.
The comedy opens in the Us later this year.
Barely Lethal centres on orphan Megan Walsh (Steinfeld) being trained through her childhood to become a spy.
Walsh chooses to abandon her first mission to capture arms dealer Victoria Knox (Jessica Alba) in order to enroll in high school, but soon finds that she can't quite leave the past behind.
Samuel L Jackson portrays the spymaster who trained Megan, while Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner is a fellow agent.
Barely Lethal director Kyle Newman has previously helmed The Hollow, and worked on music videos for Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey.
The comedy opens in the Us later this year.
- 3/18/2015
- Digital Spy
"She will destroy you!" Don't mess with Hailee. We've been curious about this new movie from Fanboys director Kyle Newman, called Barely Lethal, and now we have a first look by way of a trailer. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh in a Hit-Girl-esque story about a young trained assassin who tries to return to normal life (and high school) and fit in. She's joined in the cast by Jessica Alba, Samuel L. Jackson, Dan Fogler, Jaime King, Sophie Turner, and Thomas Mann from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I hate to say it, but this looks a bit cliche though I'm not sure if we should blame the trailer editing or what. I'm still curious to see it but not sure how it's different than the Hit-Girl story we got in the Kick-Ass movies. Here's the first international trailer for Kyle Newman's Barely Lethal, from YouTube...
- 3/18/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Do you guys remember what it.s like to be a teenager (assuming you aren.t actually still a teenager)? There are a lot of new emotions that begin stirring around in the post-pubescent cauldron, and there.s a good chance that you wanted to annihilate other people at one point or another. This isn.t a problem that affects Megan Walsh, Hailee Steinfeld.s character in Kyle Newman's upcoming action comedy Barely Lethal. Our first look at the film, seen above, proves that Megan is probably equipped to do damage to just about anyone she wants. Bullies best beware. Megan isn.t your average teenager, obviously, though that.s all she wants to be. She.s an international assassin, much more used to putting bullets in bad guys than taking standardized tests. All she wants is to live the life of a normal kid, however, so she fakes...
- 1/3/2014
- cinemablend.com
Stars: Angel McCord, John Hawkes, Charlie Howes, Rileigh Chalmers, Andrew MacFarlane, Chelsey Reist, James Tyce | Written by T.J. Cimfel | Directed by Brett Donowho
Actor turned director Brett Donowho (5 Souls, The Sacred) is back behind the camera for his third film, No Tell Motel, which follows Megan Walsh and her friends who, after being stranded in the middle of nowhere, are forced to spend the night in an abandoned roadside motel. Little do they know the crumbling structure is haunted by the spirits of its former owners, including a vengeful little ghost named Angela. As the haunting turns violent and the group’s number dwindles, Megan realizes that the key to her survival lies in uncovering the secrets of the motel’s tortured past. And even that might not be enough to save her.
Yet another in the incredibly long line of “wrong place, wrong time” haunted house flicks that have...
Actor turned director Brett Donowho (5 Souls, The Sacred) is back behind the camera for his third film, No Tell Motel, which follows Megan Walsh and her friends who, after being stranded in the middle of nowhere, are forced to spend the night in an abandoned roadside motel. Little do they know the crumbling structure is haunted by the spirits of its former owners, including a vengeful little ghost named Angela. As the haunting turns violent and the group’s number dwindles, Megan realizes that the key to her survival lies in uncovering the secrets of the motel’s tortured past. And even that might not be enough to save her.
Yet another in the incredibly long line of “wrong place, wrong time” haunted house flicks that have...
- 4/22/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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