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Shakespeare’s legendary play Romeo and Juliet tells a classic love story—one complicated by secrets, lies, and bitter rivalries. It’s a story that’s been told time and time again, in a multitude of locations and time settings. But the modern-day retelling of Die in a Gunfight tells the story in its own eccentric style.
Die in a Gunfight follows the story of the forbidden romance between Ben Gibbon (Diego Boneta) and Mary Rathcart (Alexandra Daddario). For generations, the Gibbons and the Rathcarts have run rival New York City media empires, leading to a bitter (and sometimes deadly) feud. When their children fell in love, their fathers forbid it—even sending rebellious Mary away to Paris to put space between them. But now, years later, Mary is back. Ben’s feelings haven’t changed—but with a whistleblower threatening to bring down Mary’s father’s empire, the rivalry has gotten uglier than ever.
As Ben and Mary reconnect and rekindle their romance, they do so in a city that’s a world away from fair Verona. Their story travels from high-end clubs to exclusive parties to quaint and colorful diners, with a few stops in dark alleys, too. The Gibbons and the Rathcarts aren’t the Capulets and Montagues, either. The family patriarchs are ruthless businessmen who believe that their money can buy them anything—from love and security to spies and hitmen. But Ben and Mary want nothing to do with that life. Mary has always rebelled against her family, while Ben is perpetually bruised and beaten—a by-product of the fact that he tends to get into fights, just so he can feel something.
The style, meanwhile, is definitely different. It’s as if someone turned Shakespeare’s classic tragedy into a graphic novel, and Quentin Tarantino raced past, spilling a little bit of his espresso on it along the way. The basic setup is here, and while it does take a whole lot of liberties, the storyline does sometimes refer back to the original material. But the colors and settings and the frequent narration make it distinctive. At some points, with all of the quirky characters and unexpected outbursts, it does, admittedly, feel somewhat odd. But that’s also a part of the film’s eccentric charm.
Somewhere in here, there’s a classic tale of rivalries and star-crossed love. But the colors and style and twists of Die in a Gunfight make it strange and comical and action-packed. And, while it may not be a powerful adaptation of a beloved Shakespearian play, the Bard had his own quirks—not to mention a twisted sense of humor—and I think he’d approve.
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