It is said that political power often grows out of the barrel of a gun. The story in this Max Isaacson movie is about the small eponymous town of Paradise, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. But the real drama unfolds between a sheriff father and his rebellious daughter, Ella. Ella got this reputation as the quickest gun in town. But her old man, being the sheriff, isn’t exactly thrilled about her carrying guns everywhere. Anyway, just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, tragedy strikes. The sheriff, Ella’s own father, gets gunned down. The question arises: who is responsible? Could it be the same gang led by Lee Page, who previously took the lives of Ella’s mother and brother? Or perhaps there is another conspiracy going around? As we delve into the heart of Paradise, we seek to uncover the truth – Is this town truly deserving of its name, or is there a darker reality?
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened To Dan Patchet?
We’re introduced to Ella as a girl who’s always on the hunt for justice, even if it means taking down those who deserve it. Then there’s her father, the sheriff of the town, named Dan Patchet. He’s dead set against violence. He’s always telling Ella, “Nothing good ever comes from the barrel of a gun.” But Ella, well, she’s got her reasons for wanting to carry one. You see, she lost her mother and brother to the violence of Lee Paige’s gang, and she’s convinced they might come back for more. So, she’s all about being prepared and getting justice. Meanwhile, the sheriff heads into the police station and gets hit with a piece of unexpected news from the mayor of the town, Calvin Whitney, the Lee Paige gang is back after ten long years! It’s a chilling reminder for him of all the chaos and violence that Paradise has endured and how it has cost him and his family. But Dan, he’s a man of principle. He’s adamant about keeping Paradise a real paradise, free from crime and violence. Yet he can’t just turn a blind eye to this threat. It’s his duty to keep the town safe. So, that very night, Dan’s out on patrol, keeping a watchful eye over the streets. Out of nowhere, a speeding car slams into a lamppost before his eyes. He feels that’s very unexpected! Dan’s instincts kick into high gear. He approaches the car cautiously, thinking it might be something to do with the gang. But as he gets closer, peering through the shattered glass, something unimaginable happens—completely out of the blue! His head is blown off, right then and there. Dan’s life was snuffed out in an instant.
Who Killed Dan?
Ella finds herself really alone now. First, she lost her mother and brother, and now her father too—her last pillar of support. With grief and rage running through her veins, she knows it’s time for justice. And in her eyes, the one person to blame is none other than Mayor Whitney. See, Ella’s got this gut feeling that the mayor’s been playing a double game. He’s been whispering sweet nothings in her father’s ear, urging him to turn a blind eye to Lee Paige’s gang, all to maintain this image of peace in Paradise. But Ella sees through his fake smiles and a false sense of community. She knows it’s all about power and fame for him—nothing more. So she storms over to the mayor’s house, fueled by anger and with a gun in hand. But instead of confessing to any wrongdoing, Mayor Whitney puts on this act of sympathy, saying he’s devastated by her father’s death. He even throws in this line about how her father was the best sheriff in town. She asks the mayor’s son to give her Lee Paige’s number, as he has a connection to the underworld. But he’s not exactly eager to help her out. So, Ella resorts to drastic measures, tying him up to a tree and threatening him with fireworks until he spills the beans on how to reach Lee Paige and his gang. Meanwhile, the real intentions of Mayor Calvin start to unravel. It becomes clear as day that he’s been pulling the strings all along. He’s got Sam Mayo and Hobbes following Ella, afraid of what she might do next. And why? Because they know she’s not one to mess with. But the truth behind the sheriff’s murder cuts even deeper. It turns out that Mayor Calvin orchestrated the whole thing. Why? Because the sheriff was too good, too honest—a threat to his illicit activities. So he cooked up this fake story about Lee Paige’s return to town, just to get the sheriff out of the way. All those grand promises about saving the environment with solar panels? Just smoke and mirrors. Mayor Calvin’s real game is making money through illegal dealings, no matter the cost to Paradise or its people. But the sad thing is that she does not even know about Calvin being the murderer; she still thinks Lee Paige killed her father.
Did Ella Take Her Revenge?
As Ella discovers the identity of a member of Lee Paige’s gang, she decides to confront him and seek her long-awaited revenge. However, just as they’re about to make their move, cops arrive on the scene, sent by Sam and Mayor Calvin to kill Ella and Townes. But Ella does not know about it, and she thinks these are members of Lee Paige’s gang. In a swift and deadly exchange, Ella’s fast gun kills them all, and they flee the scene. When she goes to Lee Paige, she sees how Paige greets them warmly with a kind smile. Confused by this unexpected reception, Ella was shocked. In the meantime, Lee Paige drops a bombshell: It wasn’t Lee who killed any of her family members. Sam Mayo, the drug dealer whom Mayor Calvin intended to recruit as the new sheriff, will help him maintain his criminal operations without interference. Shocked by this, Ella forms an alliance with Lee Paige and his gang to serve justice. But you know what happened! As they’re about to leave, members of the gang are suddenly gunned down by the police sent by Calvin, leaving only Ella and Townes alive. Before they can process what’s happening, Hobbes intervenes, abducting them both. But Hobbes’ bullets mistakenly went through Townes, causing Ella to lose her best friend as well. Devastated by this loss, Ella’s grief turns to rage, and she chokes Hobbes and ends his life.
Finally, we see how Ella goes to kill the mayor. On her way, she encounters Sam Mayo, who is supposed to be the mayor’s bodyguard. However, he too is fed up with the mayor’s tactics and realizes that enough is enough; the mayor must be stopped. Even the mayor’s son tries to protect his father, but knowing he is the murderer, he feels helpless. Mayor Calvin tries everything to save himself, but ultimately gets gunned down by Ella. Finally, we see how Ella comes to the realization that to stop the violence, she is also being violent, killing many in the process with her gun. So, she finally swears off the gun, placing it down on her father’s grave and coming to the realization that her father was right after all: “Nothing good ever comes from the barrel of a gun.”
