Wolfs

Spoilers

While 2024's WOLFS is mostly recommended for fans of George Clooney and Brad Pitt, anyone who appreciates old school wisecracking between seasoned alpha dudes should find this plenty enjoyable.  I guess this kinda thing doesn't really sell to those who actually go to movie theaters anymore, as Apple decided to only give this a one week theatrical release before it debuted on its streaming service.  That apparently pissed off writer/director Jon Watts enough to pull out of a planned sequel.  

The boys play unnamed rival "fixers" - professionals who make inconvenient, potentially career killing things like hotel room corpses disappear.  During the film's promising opening, a District Attorney named Margaret (Amy Ryan) stands over said corpse, a young man she earlier picked up.  Seems he got a bit carried away, jumping up and down on the bed and landing face first on a glass drink cart.  Margaret remembers she has an emergency number to be used when this kind of predicament arises.  Clooney's character arrives.  Cool and methodical.  But then Pitt's character arrives, hired by the hotel's owner (seen only from behind and voiced by Frances McDormand), who witnessed the accident on surveillance video.  

The women decide our boys need to collaborate to clean up the mess.  Of course they balk at the notion.  Both are lone wolfs.  The film's title more than suggests they are not "wolves", part of a pack.  They are individuals, and collaboration will not go smoothly.  Especially when said corpse comes alive in the trunk of their car.  "Kid" (Austin Abrams) will proceed to lead the wolfs on a nightlong odyssey that will involve bricks of heroin, Albanian gangsters, Croatian gangsters, and a sleazy motel in which an interrogation takes place in a jungle themed room - the movie's funniest scene. 

There are numerous laugh out loud moments in WOLFS.  Some action. Watts concocts a star vehicle that is just preposterous enough - a late scene where the boys explain the complexities of the plot is a perfect gag in itself.  The use of retro pop songs from beginning to end is deft.  The chemistry between these longtime colleagues and friends is just right.  Always fun to watch them. Both are believable in these roles, even if Clooney looks like he just stepped out of one of his Nespresso commercials.  Are they heirs to Robert Redford and Paul Newman?  Debatable, but generally worth this trip either way.