Wolfs - Review : A Breezy, Star-Powered Staring Contest

Wolfs (2024)

A Breezy, Star-Powered Staring Contest

★★½☆☆

A harmless streaming diversion that coasts on the familiarity of its A-list leads.

Lucky 13 Review

Wolfs

Directed by Jon Watts • 2024

Release Date

September 20, 2024

Rotten Tomatoes

68%

Letterboxd Score

3.1/5

Running Time

1h 48m

Official Synopsis

Margaret, a high-profile New York district attorney, finds herself in an impossible situation inside a luxury hotel suite with a dead young man. Desperate to protect her career, she calls a secretive, unnamed professional fixer to clean up the mess. However, her night fractures into chaos when a second independent fixer unexpectedly shows up at the door, hired by the hotel's mysterious owner. Forced to work together despite their stubborn "lone wolf" mentalities, the two competitive clean-up men soon discover the body is carrying a massive stash of stolen drugs, turning their routine night into a wild, cross-city escape.

Expanded Ensemble

• George Clooney as Margaret's Fixer
• Brad Pitt as Pamela's Fixer
• Austin Abrams as Kid
• Amy Ryan as Margaret
• Poorna Jagannathan as June
• Zlatko Burić as Dimitri

Expanded Architects

• Director: Jon Watts
• Screenplay: Jon Watts
• Producers: Jon Watts, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner
• Cinematography: Larkin Seiple
• Film Editor: Andrew Drazek
• Music Composer: Theodore Shapiro

Official Promotional Trailer

Production Info & Specifications

Financial Budget	$75 Million (Estimated)
Streaming Status	Apple TV+ Original Film Premium Hit
Capture Format	Digital (Sony VENICE 2) • 2.39:1 Scope Layout
Primary Locations	New York City, New York, USA
Production Label	Apple Original Films • Plan B Entertainment • Smokehouse Pictures

Directed by Jon Watts, Wolfs follows two professional "cleaners" forced to work together when they are both hired for the same job. It is fascinating to see how the entertainment landscape has changed; what used to be a mainstream holiday event film is now relegated to the [Apple TV+](https://tv.apple.com) subscription model. While it’s hard not to fall for the combined charms of George Clooney and Brad Pitt, the film struggles to find enough "meat on the bone" to justify its existence beyond the novelty of their reunion.

"Seeing the two stars bicker and debate honestly gets old pretty quickly and we start to long for the camaraderie they illustrate in the likeable Ocean films."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: Jon Watts
• Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt
• Supporting: Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams
• Platform: Apple TV+

The Vision

Jon Watts attempts to build a world of "pickles and piles" where challenges keep mounting for our two aging fixers. The bickering is clearly intended to be comedic, but the execution often falls flat, resulting in a lot of staring, staring at each other in disbelief, disgust, or confusion like dogs looking at a new toy. If you’re looking for a movie where two handsome men give each other a lot of silent, intense looks, this vision is exactly for you.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Ocean's Reunion: This marks the first time Clooney and Pitt have headlined a film together since 2008's Burn After Reading, following their iconic work in the Ocean's trilogy.
• Director's Pivot: This is Jon Watts' first non-Marvel project since his stint directing the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy.
• Sequel Already Set: Despite the direct-to-streaming release, Apple has already greenlit a sequel with Watts and the leads attached to return.

✅ Pros

• Inherent movie-star magnetism from Pitt and Clooney.
• An easy, breezy, and harmless diversion for late-night viewing.
• Polished production values typical of Apple Original Films.

❌ Cons

• Repetitive bickering that lacks real comedic punch.
• Thin plot that feels like an excuse for the actors to hang out.
• Missing the spark and camaraderie of their previous collaborations.

The Full Analysis

Wolfs is the latest high-profile offering featuring two A-list stars appearing in a motion picture for Apple+, following in the footsteps of the affable action comedy The Instigators from earlier this year. This time around, George Clooney and Brad Pitt headline a project that highlights just how much the entertainment landscape has changed. What used to be considered mainstream event films for the holiday season are now being relegated to enticing content for the streaming subscription model, though a movie is still a movie regardless of the platform. The question remains, however, is Wolfs actually any good?

It is admittedly difficult not to fall for the cinematic charms of Clooney and Pitt when they are individually anchored to a project, but seeing the two of them together on screen can be truly riveting stuff. We have seen this specific team-up before in several films, so it is not exactly a unique affair, yet this time they are presented as adversaries who largely despise each other’s company. Unfortunately, seeing these two stars bicker and debate honestly gets old quite quickly, and the audience begins to long for the camaraderie they famously illustrated in the likeable Ocean’s franchise.

While the constant arguing is intended to be comedic, it simply does not work as effectively as intended. There is a surprising amount of staring in Wolfs, featuring characters staring at each other with confused, cocked heads, staring in disbelief, or staring at obstacles like confused dogs. If one is looking for a movie where two handsome men give each other a lot of silent, intense looks, this film is certainly for them. In terms of the actual story, the plot is basically a thin chronicle about two "cleaners" caught in a long-game pickle where challenges keep piling on, leaving very little meat on the bone to chew on.

One is forced to wonder why they chose this specific project, and a cynical view might suggest they did it simply to hang out and collect a paycheck. While that is a somewhat skeptical perspective, there are certainly worse reasons to make a movie. Ultimately, Wolfs is not particularly great, or perhaps even that good, but it serves as an easy, breezy, and harmless diversion. It is a time-killer best experienced in one's pajamas before heading off to a peaceful sleep, providing a sharp, satirical edge to the modern "streaming star" vehicle while remaining a powerfully invigorating look at the effortless charisma of its leads.

🏆 Final Verdict

Wolfs isn't necessarily a "good" movie, but it’s a perfect "PJ movie" something to kill time with before heading off to sleep. It coasts on the fame of its leads but fails to leave a lasting impression.

View original review on Letterboxd