Wolfs // By Jon Watts. With Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Amy Ryan.
Cinema and streaming platforms have accustomed us to productions that rely on big names to attract audiences. However, casting isn’t always everything, and Apple’s latest film, Wolfsis a perfect example. With George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the lead, this film had everything to raise high expectations. But in the end, despite a promise of entertainment and a duo of Hollywood legends, Wolfs remains a fairly bland production. The plot of Wolfs is based on a rather attractive premise: two “fixers”, or cleaners, working in the shadows to erase traces of elite misdeeds, accidentally find themselves on the same mission. Forced to cooperate, they spend a night managing a case that will quickly degenerate into drug trafficking and a confrontation with the Albanian mafia.
One professional is responsible for cleaning up a crime scene when a second professional responds to the scene. The two lone wolves find themselves forced to team up and embark on a hellish night where nothing goes as planned.
On paper, this scenario offers great promise. We expect a dynamic plot, full of twists and turns, with well-balanced humor and breathtaking action scenes. However, very quickly, the film gets bogged down in a disconcerting slowness. Despite the original idea and an interesting starting pitch, the story never really manages to take off. The issues are poorly defined, and the situations, which could have been thrilling, sorely lack dynamism. We witness a sequence of scenes which, instead of capturing attention, end up boring. It becomes difficult for the viewer to fully immerse themselves in this adventure which seems to drag on. Wolfs gives this unpleasant impression of a film much longer than its actual duration. If Clooney and Pitt form an iconic cinema duo, their chemistry, although palpable on screen, is not enough to save the film. The two actors, visibly amused to play together, bring a certain lightness and nonchalance to their characters.
They exchange lines with a complicity that is a pleasure to see, and their humor tinged with self-deprecation, particularly regarding their age, provides some amusing moments. However, despite their undeniable talent, the two stars fail to compensate for the weaknesses of a flat scenario without much surprise. Their characters, although sympathetic, lack depth and seem to remain on the surface. We could have hoped for more in-depth development, more impactful dialogue, or even more striking action scenes, but Wolfs never manages to reach this level. A third character, played by Austin Abrams, occasionally brightens up the duo, but here again, his role remains under-exploited and does not add enough depth to the story. What could have been an effervescent action comedy ends up becoming a succession of predictable scenes with little flavor.
One of the main problems of Wolfs lies in its rhythm. From the start, slowness sets in, and the film struggles to find a balance between its moments of action and its calmer scenes. Where a film like Ocean’s Eleven (where Clooney and Pitt already excelled as a duo) knew how to juggle tension and humor, Wolfs seems to remain stuck in a dull and featureless atmosphere. The direction of Jon Watts, who had delivered more rhythmic works in the past, here turns out to be surprisingly dull. Action scenes are rare, and when they do appear, they lack punch. The only notable scene is a central chase which manages to offer a little fun, but it is not enough to revive the viewer’s interest. Wolfs well illustrates a recurring trend in streaming platform productions: films with impressive casts, but disappointing content.
Although Apple tried to play the event card by bringing together two big stars, the end result fell far short of expectations. Here we find a production which, despite its potential, blends into the mass of forgettable films, without any real identity. If the humor can sometimes hit the mark and we enjoy seeing Clooney and Pitt having fun on screen, that is not enough to make us Wolfs a striking film. It sorely lacks audacity, and its scenario, although promising, is content to stay on the beaten track. Additionally, the lack of dramatic tension and rhythm makes the whole thing quite boring. In summary, Wolfs had it all on paper: a duo of charismatic actors, an intriguing plot and potentially explosive action scenes. However, the film remains stuck in a too timid and slow execution, never managing to reach the level of excellence that one could expect from such a production. It clearly lacks a Soderbergh behind the camera.
Note : 4.5/10. In short, an excellent star duo serving average entertainment.
Released September 27, 2024 directly on Apple TV+
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