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kate netflix© Photo: Netflix

This is why viewers are divided over Netflix's new thriller Kate

Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Woody Harrelson both star in the film

Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
September 15, 2021
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Netflix's brand new thriller film, Kate, is the one movie everyone is talking about right now. The film, which stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Woody Harrelson, tells the story of a ruthless assassin who has less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her enemies.

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Kate has generated plenty of discussion on social media and while many viewers are loving the action-packed film, others were unimpressed by the movie focus on a white protagonist carrying out murders in a foreign country.

WATCH: Netflix's Kate official trailer

One person summed it up on Twitter: "Love Winstead. But stop putting white leads around Asian culture in an Asian city while every antagonist is Asian. And what's Hollywood’s obsession with the Yakuza, like, damn."

Another said: "Enough people thought this was a good idea that we're getting it. Wtf" as another branded the film as reinforcing "white saviour stereotypes."

However, others enjoyed the film in particular the performances from the actors. Plenty of viewers had praise for Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who portrays the titular character, with one person tweeting: "Tonight's film was Kate on Netflix. The fights and violence were off the charts in this one. This is what 'Jolt' tried to be. Very stylish, love Mary Elizabeth Winstead. #KATE."

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netflix kate movie© Photo: Netflix

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Kate in the new Netflix film

Another fan said: "Don't understand some of the negative comments on #Kate on #Netflix. Great action-thriller with Mary Elizabeth Winstead stealing the show as badass of the year."

The synopsis for Kate reads: "Meticulous and preternaturally skilled, Kate is the perfect specimen of a finely tuned assassin at the height of her game.

But when she uncharacteristically blows an assignment targeting a member of the yakuza in Tokyo, she quickly discovers she's been poisoned, a brutally slow execution that gives her less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her killers. As her body swiftly deteriorates, Kate forms an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims."

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