George Clooney and Brad Pitt Fix Apple TV+ Movie

Field: The two men (played by Brad Pitt and George Clooney) have a lot in common—they are two of New York’s most talented fixers, men who know how to make problems disappear for the very rich. But they only work alone, being lone wolves by nature.

But when a powerful political figure named Margaret (Amy Ryan) needs help cleaning up a mess that includes a hotel suite, four bricks of drugs, and a possibly dead, possibly prostitute, the two are forced to partner up, discovering along the way that they make quite the team. But the situation is more dangerous than they realize—and their shaky new bond may not be enough to get them through the night.

Same but different: The sleek and stylish Apple TV+ Wolves The script was written and directed by Jon Watts, who previously made a name for himself as the director of the last three Spider-Man movies (not to mention the acclaimed crime thrillers) Police car). That said, if you assume Steven Soderbergh is behind the camera, you’d be mistaken. Not only because the light action comedy pairs two Ocean’s Eleven stars for illegal activities, but because their sleek and stylish feel evokes the director’s signature style, albeit with a few fun tweaks by Watts.

The action takes place over the course of one night. Wolves evokes the same nighttime vibes as great movies like Safeguard AND After hours — that sense that, while most of the city is asleep, danger could be everywhere, but so could opportunity. But the film maintains its purpose throughout, which in turn keeps the action tight, with some very effective montages that smooth things out. This is a film that keeps many of its secrets buried pretty deeply, with information leaking out in subtle ways.

For a process and detail buff like this humble writer, watching intelligent people solve problems can be a source of great pleasure, whether that problem is locating the source of the aforementioned drugs or negotiating help from the best unofficial doctor in Chinatown (Poorna Jagannathan from Never in my life).

We invite experts: For most of the film, Watts leans heavily on the natural chemistry between Clooney and Pitt (born from decades of real-life friendship). Wolves‘ appeal, and it’s an effective gambit. We never learn any of the characters’ names; hell, we never really get much of a sense of what sets them apart, beyond the slightest differences in their work styles. Instead, the film focuses on what they have in common, from their similarly troubled backs to their shared need for reading glasses. (Being, as they are, “men of a certain age.”)

But while that means the concept of character development is pretty minimal, it doesn’t really matter, because both actors know how to take what the good Lord has given them and make it incredibly compelling to watch. It’s a star-studded film, and the off-screen story of the actors serves as the film’s emotional hook.

The film’s scope remains relatively small, allowing it to be a showcase for Pitt and Clooney — but Amy Ryan’s brief appearances are a welcome reminder of how compelling an actress she is, especially as she tries to walk the line between power and terror. Poorna Jagannathan also has great flint chemistry with both Clooney and Pitt. And while it would be a spoiler to say too much about Austin Abrams’ character, know that the young Euphoria AND The Living Dead the star has several show scenes that truly command respect.

Verdict: Wolves was originally supposed to have a wide theatrical release and then premiere on Apple TV+, a plan that was scrapped when the company decided it didn’t want to risk the film being a box office disappointment. That’s perhaps an understandable concern, considering that these days, theatrical releases don’t come with a guarantee of success, especially for smaller films like this one that aren’t sequels or adaptations of best-selling novels. Blake Lively, Wolverine, or animated thrillers are bigger draws these days than two movie stars treading familiar ground.

Already Wolves It’s classy, ​​intelligent, funny, and engaging, a solid film that works great in a packed theater and could offer viewers a nice adult night at the movies. So I hope some people take advantage of it this weekend. And if not… well, it’ll be available to stream next week. It won’t be the same. But a good movie is a good movie, no matter the screen size.

Where to watch: Wolves will be available for limited viewing from Friday, September 20, and will be available on Apple TV+ from September 27.

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