.45

Kate moves through New York’s streets with sharp style and quick wit, until her relationship with the brutal Big Al turns controlling and violent. A brutal beating forces her circle into action; three friends push for healing rather than silence. Vic longs for a closer bond with Kate and offers warmth, Reilly drifts between loyalty to Al and a risky attraction to Kate, and Liz, a battered women’s program counselor, provides practical guidance. As fear and dependency color every choice, the group weighs safety, support, and the limits of their influence. The tension comes from conversation, restraint, and the difficult steps toward autonomy without tipping back toward danger.

Directed by Gary Lennon, .45 arrived in 2006 as a gritty drama that blends crime and thriller elements. Milla Jovovich stars as Kate, with Angus Macfadyen and Stephen Dorff in supporting roles. The film was produced on a modest five million dollar budget.

Critics were mixed, praising the film's stark realism and Jovovich's controlled performance while noting a lean plot that sometimes strains under its heavy subject matter. The script foregrounds survivors networks and the thorny choices they face when violence scars everyday life, and it examines how fear, dependence, and empowerment collide in moments of crisis. It asks whether seeking safety means leaving familiar bonds and whether help from friends and professionals can alter a perilous dynamic.