WOLFS (2024) - Movie Review

Director: Jon Watts
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Austin Abrams, Amy Ryan, Poorna Jagannathan
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Comedy
Writer: Jon Watts
Runtime: 108 min
Rated: R for language throughout and some violent content
Buy This Movie: Apple TV

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Synopsis:

Global superstars George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up for the action comedy Wolfs. Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two "lone wolves" are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.

Review:

I've heard "Wolfs" being described as either a crime thriller or an action comedy. So, which is it, you might ask ? Well, after watching it, I guess I can say it's both and neither at the same time. It's very old-school, but also very confused as to what it wants to be. As the night of the two unnamed lone-wolf(s) fixers forced to work together on a job begins to spiral out of control, the movie pretty much does the same as it meanders from one plot point to the next.

Despite having two of the world's coolest actors, the movie somehow ends up being a dreary, rambling neo-noir with very little in the way of charm or coherent story. Clooney and Pitt have great chemistry, but their banter is not as entertaining as it could have been because the writing is lazy. And what's worse is that the movie relies excessively on the charm of these two powerhouse stars, but forgets to actually give them something interesting to say or do. What we're left with is pretty much Pitt and Clooney playing themselves in an awkward sequence of events that can only be described as crime drama spoof.

It's a great-looking film for sure, and the gritty, wintery urban landscape is a great setting for a neo-noir story. I couldn't help getting "Max Payne" vibes (the games, not the crappy movie). Every corner of New York oozes atmosphere in an almost David Fincher-esque way thanks to some amazing work from cinematographer Larkin Seiple. However, it all becomes a hollow exercise in technial prowess as the story and characters never achieve that coveted third dimension.

The film's production budget was reportedly around the $100 million mark, and while Clooney and Pitt's salaries were never officially confirmed, I'm sure they cost a pretty penny. The actors agreed to forego a part of their salaries to ensure the film's theatrical release, but Apple eventually switched it from wide to limited. I can certainly understand why the studio got cold feet and wanted to avoid a possible box-office disaster. Star power isn't quite the seat-filler it used to be, while the movie itself is too dreary and dull to attract modern audiences, and too shallow for old-school cinephiles.

It seems a sequel is already in the works, which would explain the horribly abrupt and unsatisfying ending. Sequel baiting at its worst, if you ask me. I'm pretty sure, however, that I didn't care enough about either character to want to see what happens next. In the end, "Wolfs" is not so much a terrible experience, as it is a disappointingly mediocre one.

SCORE: 6/10