Guns Up (film)
2025 American film
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Guns Up is a 2025 American action comedy film directed by Edward Drake and starring Kevin James and Christina Ricci alongside Maximilian Osinski, Luis Guzmán, and Melissa Leo. The film follows Ray Hayes (James), a former cop turned mob henchman who must keep his family safe after his final job goes wrong.
- Edward Drake
- Jeffrey Greenstein
- Jon Keeyes
- Mandi Murro
- J. J. Nugent
- Tobias Weymar
| Guns Up | |
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German theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edward Drake |
| Written by | Edward Drake |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brendan Galvin |
| Edited by | Todd E. Miller |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Vertical |
Release dates |
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Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $252,865[2] |
Guns Up was released in the United States by Vertical on July 18, 2025, and received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Ray Hayes is an ex-cop who now works as a mob henchman while trying to maintain a normal home life with his wife Alice and their children. Although he dreams of leaving “The Family” behind and opening a diner with Alice, Ray is still tied to the criminal organization he serves.
As he prepares to walk away for good, Ray is given one final job. The assignment goes off the rails, putting him in direct conflict with the mob. Branded a liability, Ray becomes a target. With the clock ticking, he has only one night to get his unsuspecting family out of the city before the mob kills him.
The film follows Ray as he fights off waves of attackers sent to eliminate him, blending high‑octane action with broad comedy. Throughout the night, Ray struggles to protect his family without revealing the truth about his double life, forcing him to confront the consequences of the choices that led him there.
Cast
- Kevin James as Ray Hayes
- Christina Ricci as Alice Hayes
- Maximilian Osinski as Antonio Castigan
- Luis Guzmán as Ignatius Locke
- Melissa Leo as Michael Temple
- Leo Easton Kelly as Henry Hayes
- Keana Marie as Siohbán Hayes
- Timothy V. Murphy as Lonny Castigan
- Joey Diaz as Charlie Brooks
- Francis Cronin as Danny Clogan
- Solomon Hughes as Ford Holden
- Miroslav Barnyashev as Harry the Hammer
Production
In May 2023, Kevin James was cast in the film in the lead role.[3] Guns Up was filmed in New Jersey from June to July 2023.[4][5] The film was produced by Millennium Media.[6] James performed his own stunts during filming.[6]
During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, director and writer Edward Drake made changes to the film's script, which he claimed were related to his role as director, not as writer. Due to rules set by the Directors Guild of America that were forbidden by the Writers Guild, Drake was ultimately expelled from the Writers Guild after a disciplinary hearing in May 2024.[5][7]
Release
Reception
Box office
Guns Up was first released theatrically in South Africa on May 30, 2025, where it grossed $13,165.[2] In Mexico, the film grossed $58,046 in its opening weekend, finishing sixth at the box office during the weekend of July 6–8.[2]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of 23 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "While Kevin James' earnestness and fleeting moments of heart prevent it from feeling completely hollow, Guns Up struggles to balance its mix of high-octane shootouts and broad humor."[10]
Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics gave the film a positive review, praising the lead performances of James and Ricci and called it "the rare action-comedy that took me by surprise."[11] In contrast, Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com gave the film a highly negative review, calling it "one of those films that is so baffling that even as you are watching it, you can hardly believe that it exists" and "a total zero."[12]