'Snag' Movie Review: A Tarantino Knockoff
- Details
- Published: Friday, 28 April 2023 16:16
- Written by Lupe R Haas
The question you'll be asking yourself throughout SNAG is, 'Who the heck is this guy?' The director/star Ben Milliken makes it a running gag in the movie that stars a majority of Latino actors like Jaime Camil, Ana Ortiz, Mexican actress Sofia Castro and one white guy.
Snag, an Australian man (Milliken), works for a female drug lord (Ortiz), and makes the mistake of falling in love with his boss's daughter, Valentina (Castro). After she is killed, he begins a new life until he learns the love of his life is not dead, but being held captive by his former employer. Snag sets off with an ally and his new friends to rescue Valentina. Along the way, he dodges assassins and double crossings.
From the onset you know the type of film SNAG wants to be - a wannabe Quentin Tarantino flick starring an unknown face. Ben Milliken, a Derek Hough (Dancing with the Stars) lookalike stars and directs. Milliken is a former boxer with acting credits in Australia and bit parts in American films and television. SNAG is obviously a starring vehicle for the actor/director to get noticed in Hollywood.
Set in a border town, Snag is out of place as the sole white guy among the mostly Latino residents. The gringo's fighting skills and smart-ass attitude come in handy when he's surrounded in a bar, and on other occasions.
Everyone refers to Snag as the "gringo," a term he dislikes because he's not American, and he keeps reminding people of that. In the action flick, characters often ask, "Who is this gringo?" That's the very question this viewer kept wondering about. Snag's past is a mystery and we never get answers to how an Australian became involved with a drug cartel. He's often referred to as a drug mule but he refutes the title.
There's some charm to SNAG and eventually, you take a liking to the chill character and those around him especially Jaime Camil and Michelle Ortiz (This Fool!) who infuse the action film with energy and humor.
There are a few hilarious running gags and it has its charm but SNAG is mostly a cheap remake of films we've seen way too many times.
SNAG is now streaming on digital platforms and in select theaters.