Jon Watts’ Wolfs has managed to reteam Clooney and Pitt for the first time in well over a decade in a semi-satisfying thriller that relies purely on the chemistry of its two leads. 

 

George Clooney and Brad Pitt play nameless wolves, “fixers” when things need to be cleaned up. The two don’t know each other, but are thrown into the same “clean-up” job and forced to work together to make everything right. The only snag is these two unequivocally hate one another just for being in their same field of expertise. As a “wolf” you’re meant to work alone and as the two are forced to work together on this one case, things could go array at any moment. 

 

Apart from the two leads, is the main problem - Austin Abrams (Paper Towns), a gullible teenager who has found himself on the wrong side of things. Accidentally overdosed but still kicking, the two attempt to fully resuscitate the kid so they can obtain more info in order to complete the job they never wanted to be a part of.  

 

Abrams is a great fuse for the two legends, really triggering some of their aggression and sincerity at the same time. Featured in the trailer (which I wish it hadn’t) is an exceptional chase sequence where Abrams seemingly has a shot of adrenaline and starts running for his life across the cityscape. This scene showcases these two's dedication to finish the job, while also the “too old for this shit” motive they share. From taking a second to catch their breath, to taking medication for back pain, to wearing reading glasses to obtain important information - the film loves to showcase that these actors are in fact not in their heyday. 

 

The film's largest fault is its slow pace, taking place entirely over the course of one winter’s night - the film is heavy on the dialogue and character interaction while waiting for a beeper to go off. Beyond the one fantastic chase scene, which once again is spoiled in the trailers, this is really a character piece about the lifestyle of a person like these two and the consequences they must come up against for their actions. If this was anyone else besides George Clooney and Brad Pitt… it’s difficult to say if this film would have worked on any level. 

 

The threat isn’t clearly established and the worry the two wolves share is never shown to a degree that would make the audience fearful for their lives. The people they’re afraid of are clearly people that needed a job done discreetly and the mess to be gotten rid of with no one beyond the hired wolf to take care of it. Now being viewed as “buddies” for taking on a job like this, they have seemingly been placed in danger. 

 

Wolfs can at moments be cleverly written and then at other points just be two older men yelling curses at each other. There’s a fine line the film is riding between repetitive humor and relying too hard on the leads' chemistry. While the story could’ve been much more fleshed out over the course of the night and the wolves are entertaining in their back and forth, there is ultimately a lot of history left open to be explored in the future. If given the opportunity, which if headlines are correct they will be given, the characters need to have more stakes behind their actions and more depth overall. Let the actors continue what they do best with their on and off screen relationship, but also include something a little more fast paced and energetic such as the one key chase we got far too little of.