Blonde 2017: Atomic

It’s the rare film that works better as a gif set than a novel—and sometimes, that’s enough.

If you can forgive a meandering second act and a plot that collapses under its own weight, you’ll be rewarded with some of the most brutally stylish action ever committed to film. Charlize Theron kicks, stabs, and drinks her way through the Cold War with such ferocious charisma that you almost don’t mind the nonsense. atomic blonde 2017

Theron is astonishing. Having reportedly trained for months (breaking teeth and bruising ribs in the process), she sells the ice-cold MI6 agent perfectly. With her platinum bob, razor-sharp cheekbones, and a wardrobe of leather trenches and Doc Martens, she’s an icon before she throws a single punch. Yet she also layers in a quiet vulnerability—a flash of loneliness, a flicker of betrayal—that keeps Lorraine from becoming a mere killing machine. It’s the rare film that works better as

If the action is a 10, the espionage plot is a 5. Theron is astonishing

Here’s a critical review of Atomic Blonde (2017), focusing on its style, action, and place in the spy genre.