Warning! This post contains spoilers for Gunpowder Milkshake.
Gunpowder Milkshake ending and sequel set-up explained. Netflix’s latest action film comes from director Navot Papushado and stars Karen Gillan as the gruff, butt-kicking assassin Sam. The film arrives fully loaded with plot, thrilling action sequences, and intriguing character dynamics. The streaming service has plenty of original content, but this latest actioner is sure to thrill audiences in new ways. And with a pending sequel on the way, Gunpowder Milkshake’s final moments could set the stage for what comes next for Sam.
Sam is only 12 years old when her assassin mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) abandons her after killing a man and subsequently putting her daughter in danger. Years later, Sam is doing the same job as her mom, working with The Firm, a corporate criminal organization that assigns her contract kills. However, by the end of Gunpowder Milkshake, Sam learns she can’t trust The Firm or Nathan (Paul Giamatti), her caretaker. There’s a lot at stake in the film and, with the help of three assassin librarians — Anna May, Florence, and Madeleine — Sam finds she is no longer as alone as she thought.
The films spends its time setting up the world Sam lives in, but the final act reveals the truth about several people that more than subtly hints at the direction the sequel for Gunpowder Milkshake might go. While it doesn't end on a major cliffhanger, there are at least a couple of paths Gunpowder 2 could take in the aftermath of the first film's events. Here’s what happened at the end of the film and how it establishes new plot threads for its follow-up.
Gunpowder Milkshake 2 Is Confirmed
Ahead of Gunpowder Milkshake’s release on Netflix, a sequel for the action-packed film was already given the greenlight. During the Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that Gunpowder Milkshake 2 was in development at StudioCanal, meaning there was a lot of confidence the first film will do well with audiences. It’s doubtful the first film was made with a sequel in mind since the ending, which leaves plenty unresolved, could have still worked without a follow-up. That said, there are plenty of storytelling avenues the film can take in the sequel and, with the majority of the main characters still alive and Sam now off the grid temporarily, the possibilities are endless. Gunpowder Milkshake could become the next John Wick for Netflix, with its sequel expanding the world it sets up in the first film even further.
Why The Firm Sets Up Sam To Take The Fall
The Firm is nothing if not self-serving. While Nathan has taken care of Sam for 15 years after her mother went off the grid, he is also a member of The Firm’s human resources department and his first, and most important, job is to protect the agency at all costs. That means cleaning up the mess Sam might have put them in with no concern for her personal well-being despite his promise to Scarlet. Corporate interests, and not the employee, come first. This is not to mention that Sam has no stakes in The Firm, while Nathan and the partners are set to lose everything. Money over people is essentially how the crime syndicate operates and Nathan makes that very clear.
Throwing Sam under the bus and making her shoulder the blame for the death of Jim McAlester’s son wipes The Firm’s hands clean. McAlester and his men are tasked with taking out Sam, leaving The Firm to go about business as usual without facing any of the consequences. This is despite the fact that they were the ones who hired Sam for the job that led to the unfolding of tragic events. Nathan essentially threw away years of looking after Sam for his job and felt no remorse doing so. It was pretty brutal to watch as he clearly favored his loyalty to The Firm and its partners, which meant giving up on someone he’d previously tried to protect. Nathan was giving up Sam to prevent a war with another crime organization, though what he didn’t realize is the decision would eventually come back to haunt him.
Sam & The Librarians Take Out The Competition
One of the big twists of the film reveals McAlester is a member of another crime syndicate, one that is in direct competition with The Firm. His son happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in Sam’s hit job. For killing him, McAlester had to make Sam pay despite the fact he knew she was only doing her job. The mob boss agreed to the terms set up by The Firm, sending his men after Sam and Emily, the young girl Sam was protecting after her father stole from The Firm. What McAlester didn’t really anticipate is Sam having backup with mother Scarlet and their Librarian friends in tow. Together, they managed to lay waste to the group of assassins McAlester sent after them and they did not hold back. Ultimately, the women were able to take out McAlester, his nephew, and anyone else deemed a threat to their safety. Suffice it to say their actions left The Firm in a sticky situation. With McAlester unable to kill Sam, she turned her wrath on Nathan and the rest of her employers who put her in the line of fire to save themselves. Sam was now free to do what she wanted; she was done taking orders from a group of people who didn't care whether she lived or died.
How Gunpowder Milkshake’s Ending Sets Up The Sequel
Gunpowder Milkshake revealed The Firm's reaction to being wronged in any way and it’s possible the sequel will see Nathan and the partners finding new ways to hunt Sam that don’t directly involve the McAlester family. Who knows how many rival contract killers there are in the film's world; any one of them could go after the women without them realizing. There are also bound to be other members of the McAlester crime family left after the massacre. They won’t be happy to hear Jim is dead and will probably hunt Sam down to kill her for what she did. McAlester had a nephew whose father didn’t appear in the film and it’s possible his introduction is being saved for Gunpowder Milkshake 2. Revenge is what fuels the McAlester family and there’s no way Sam, Scarlet, and their friends will be let off the hook so easily.
Gunpowder Milkshake left off in a place that wrapped up the main storyline, but left The Firm in a precarious position following Sam’s threat. She was finally fed up with their rules and policies that only changed when it benefited them. Understanding they had no genuine concern for her well-being, Sam teamed up with Emily to send Nathan and The Firm’s partners a message: she knew where they all lived and they were only alive because she wanted them to be. But Sam, Scarlet, and the remaining Librarians would come after them if they ever tried to assassinate them again. While the film ended with Sam et al driving away together, seemingly safe, it’s doubtful The Firm would let them go so easily despite the threat. They may not be wielding guns and other weapons, but their power and influence was vast. The first films barely touches upon the inner workings of the company, but it's something Gunpowder Milkshake 2 could expand upon.