There’s little in the way of substance to Jon Watts’ Wolfs, and that’s just fine. An exercise in post-modernism, the film is a running commentary on movie stardom and its trappings, featuring, arguably, the most popular actors of their generation, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Though they play “fixers,” in reality they’re just being their old charming selves, the observations they make about each other and their ever-devolving situation a commentary on their place in the Hollywood firmament and what might lay ahead of them.
The plot, such as it is, is inconsequential. This is a star vehicle, and its purpose is to allow us to bask in the wonder of these two impossibly charismatic men and let them take us for a ride. Watts wastes little time setting up the comedic nightmare that will envelop his anti-heroes. Margaret (Amy Ryan) finds herself in a precarious position as the young man (Austin Abrams, stealing each scene he’s in) she picked up after checking into a posh hotel got a little too randy. Losing his balance while jumping on the bed, he crashes into a glass table, killing himself…or so she thinks. Being New York’s district attorney, this is not a good look, so she calls a number she was given to use in extreme emergencies. Enter a fixer (Clooney) who specializes in cleaning up messes of this sort.
However, while in the middle of doing what he does, he and Margaret are interrupted by a knock on the door from yet another “disposal expert” (Pitt). Sent by the hotel owner, who’s witnessed all through a security camera, a stalemate ensues over just how to dispose of the body. And when a cache of drugs is found in the room, things get more complicated. Reluctantly, the two lone wolfs decide to dispose of the body and return the drugs, which is a solid plan…until they realize their body has a bit of life left in him.
What ensues is one lightly comedic situation after another, Watts typing as fast as he can to complicate things for his intrepid pair. Over the course of a very long night, they’ll have to deal with an extended chase through lower Manhattan, make a quick stop in Chinatown, crash the wedding of a mob boss’ daughter and find themselves in the middle of a gang war.
All of this is handled with the lightest of touches, comedy being the order of the day, not suspense. And for the most part it works, thanks to Clooney and Pitt’s willingness to poke fun at their images. It’s telling that neither of their characters are referred to by name. They aren’t needed as the two actors aren’t there to act as much as simply be on display - their personae are front and center here. Neither is showing us anything new, rather, this is a star vehicle for the duo, its sole purpose to entertain and put them in the spotlight to shine one last time.
When each of them says, “Nobody can do what I do,” it’s a declaration that, in many ways, Clooney and Pitt are the last of the bona fide movie stars. Dressed the same throughout, in many ways when the two stars look at each other, it’s as if they are gazing in a mirror. The careers of the fixers in the film, reflect those of the actors. Like them, each has progressed in much the same way, over the same period, their hits far outnumbering their flops, their longevity in their industry increasingly rare. As such, these men begin to question their place in a business that’s radically changed, the film’s final moments suggesting it’s time to hang up their guns while still on top.
It's no accident when the kid notes, “You’re basically the same guy,” an observation that sets both the men back, because it confirms what each of them has been thinking. Their sense of autonomy is shattered, each of their egos taking a hit in that moment. Perhaps the one scene in which Clooney and Pitt do act is in this moment, each reevaluating their purpose and trying to find a balm for their dented egos. This is the only moment where the characters’ story diverges from the actors. Obviously, this is neither Clooney nor Pitt’s last hurrah, but Wolfs perhaps serves as the first stop of their mutual farewell tour. These guys have always been smart about their careers and a wise performer knows it’s best to leave your audience wanting more; overstaying your welcome is just bad form. Streaming on Apple TV+.
