The Gray Man
Netflix The Gray Man (2022)
The Gray Man is a high action film that follows a rogue dark ops agent as he unravels the secrets of the organization he works for. The Gray Man, known as Six (Ryan Gosling) goes rogue on a mission to terminate a former operative. The operative, Four, gives him a medallion which sets off a chain of events that leads to Six being hunted.
Pros: In most action movies, you see the main character get beat up repeatedly yet they somehow walk away mostly unscathed. The Gray Man takes a different approach to this, in that when Six is not battling a new enemy, he is typically asking for a nap or looking for the first aid kit. This is actually quite refreshing as it humanizes Six and brings a little bit of reality to the film. When filled with unrealistic scenes that include mountains of collateral damage, the fighting is top tier. The Russo Brothers not only create fantastic combat sequences, but they make the camera an active participant in the fight which adds a new layer of engagement to the film.
Cons: While packed with a star studded cast, intense and non stop action scenes, and beautiful locations, The Gray Man does not have much substance. This is a summer action movie. If you are looking for a high action film with good acting, this is the film for you. If you are looking for a new take on government corruption and good guys that are actually villains, I might direct you to Captain America: Winter Soldier. Gosling’s performance is also a little different from what I have come to expect from him. Instead of the charismatic performance that is typical to his roles, Six is far more reserved and often borderlines on a wooden performance. The only really interesting parts to the performance is his self awareness to how much he is getting injured, which also adds a layer of comedy to the film.
Ryan Gosling in The Gray Man (2022)
Best Performance: Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen is by far the best performance in the film. Best known for his more heroic roles such as Captain America, Evans gets to stretch his creative legs in the role of a sociopathic mercenary. Evans creates a villain that is both charismatic, funny, and completely sociopathic. While Gosling’s Six is a more reserved borderline wooden character, Evans’ Llloyd brings a life to the screen that would otherwise be missing.
For the first time, Netflix held a red carpet event for one of their films that included a limited theatrical release. Very limited. As in, no one knew it was hitting theaters at all. I believe this was to Netflix’s detriment. While not an Oscar rated film, it is still a high energy action film that would have done great at the box office. With multiple popular stars, the Russo Brothers at the helm, it had all the markings of a box office hit. Now we may never know how well the film actually does, as Netflix does not release viewing numbers past what is in the Top 10, but I think if it had a wider theatrical release, and had the marketing to back it up, it could easily be one of the summer’s highest grossing films. While Netflix is a pure streaming service that paved the way for others, I believe it needs to adapt in the new streaming wars. For films like The Gray Man that have such a powerhouse behind it, it would serve them well to do a wide spread limited release and get some of the box office money that is ripe for the taking.
Chris Evan and Jessica Henwick in The Gray Man (2022)