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By the time we get to the final minutes of Jon Watts's Wolfs, you realise that we don’t even properly know the names of our leading men, professional fixers played by George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The Hollywood stars play the invisible men behind the scenes, who clean up the mess of highly influential individuals by themselves. When the two are forced to work together, all hell breaks loose. The witty and charismatic action comedy Wolfs from Apple TV+ is a fun watch.
Wolfs: Plot
The film opens with a high-ranking district attorney (Amy Ryan) finding out that her young companion (Austin Abrams) has fallen through a glass table in her hotel room. Panicked and covered in blood, she calls a mysterious man (Clooney) who promises to ‘take care’ of things. He arrives and begins to get to work when another mysterious man (Pitt) lands on the scene to clean up the mess. It turns out the expensive hotel owner Pamela (voiced by Oscar winner Frances McDormand) has sent him to avert scandal and keep the DA’s reputation clean. The two professional fixers dislike each other on sight and grumble their way through the shared assignment. However, the simple act of disposing of a body gets messier with each additional step.
Wolfs: Writing and Direction
Writer-director Watts wins half the battle with the minimal but excellent cast. Every actor nails their bit. But the real draw of Wolfs is Clooney and Pitt, who work through mutual dislike with aplomb, not realising that their characters are mirror images of one another. The film also takes place over one night, which makes the bizarre events that the pair go through even funnier.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLJUPjiRbAM
Wolfs: Performances
Clooney and Pitt, who are good friends in real life, are charming and funny as the duo who have no choice but to stick together. The Hollywood stars have previously worked well as colleagues in the Ocean's Eleven series, but as reluctant colleagues, they’re even funnier. Austin Abrams is a real scene stealer in the film; his clueless character is absolutely endearing. Amy Ryan, Poorna Jagannathan, and Richard Kind also impress with their short screen time.
Wolfs: Critique
The action in the film is less pronounced, but there is one car and foot chase that will leave guffawing throughout. Wolfs does bank on the audience going beyond the story to enjoy a bit of banter between co-stars and friends that are pretending to hate each other on screen. The story, while a bit convoluted, can be overlooked as it moves at a fast pace, leaving you wondering what’s next. It’s the sort of film you’d go out to watch in theatres, but now you can enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Wolfs premieres on Apple TV+ on September 27.