'Wolfs' movie review: George Clooney, Brad Pitt-starrer is a bromance that comes unstuck

Wolfs

Film: Wolfs ( Apple TV)
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams
Director: Jon Watts
Rating: 2/5
Runtime: 108 min.

Jon Watts who helmed the trilogy of Tom Holland Spider-Man movies manages to draw in A-listers George Clooney and Brad Pitt to star in ‘Wolfs.' But other than the showboat actors, there's really nothing to this tepid crime thriller that aims to score laughs by rubbing the actors up the wrong way. The comedy plays out as repetitive and tedious, the narrative has little to say, and the film basically relies on the chemistry between its stars. There's no doubt that they are charismatic actors but a bad script like this can do them in too.

Wolfs follows a pair of lone-wolf fixers who are brought in separately to clean up a very messy hotel room that features the apparent dead body of a nameless young man (Austin Abrams) who may have been a male prostitute. Reputed District Attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan), wants the night's events in the hotel room, including the body, to disappear. So she calls in Fixer #1. Fixer #2 (Brad Pitt) is there because the new owner of the hotel, Pam, having seen what went on via an illegal camera, doesn't want her hotel's name besmirched. The two Fixers clash initially and later on decide to work together after the body they thought was dead suddenly wakes up alive and a bag of high quality drugs is found in his possession.

Ryan is not seen after the 15-minute setup while Abrams plays dead for about 30 minutes then comes to life. So its mainly up to the stars to give this film some energy. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The nonstop stream of hostility and one-upmanship doesn't drive home the point. It all feels rather meaningless when grappling with a situation that involves drugs and a dead body.

The attempt to fashion a self-aware action comedy that takes New York noir stylishness seriously doesn't quite work. The film is stilted. Save for the riveting chase through a snowy Chinatown there's not much excitement here either. Pitt and Clooney, as developers and producers, should have realised that this film is too slight to curry favor with a paying audience.

Nearly every joke boils down to the rivals developing the exact same tactics.

Sony had plans to release this film in the theatres but at the last minute decided on a straight to Apple TV release. Which is not a bad thing given the lackadaisical quality of the narrative. Pitt and Clooney pal around in front of the camera but its not in the least bit funny. Even at 108 minutes, ‘Wolfs' is not a pleasant experience. It's neither a comedy nor a thriller so there's really nothing to hold on to here. There's no tension to speak of and the action is sporadic. The open-ended conclusion doesn't allow for any memorability. This film is a frustrating experience in showboating.