THE GRAY MAN is a new Netflix action-thriller based on a comic book. It has a cast full of very familiar faces and a storyline that keeps an impressive pace. And it keeps entertaining! I wasn’t sure it would be able to last for its entire runtime of two hours, but it absolutely did.
There is plenty of humor as well (of course!) as with most things by the Russo directors. But it does get darker in this movie than what we usually see. Well, in some ways. Also, there are some insane action scenes that last long but never too long.
The Gray Man really is all about Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Sure, there are many supporting characters who are also portrayed by amazing actors, but this movie is definitely all about them.
Ryan Gosling is “The Gray Man”, or rather one of them, and goes by “Six”. Obviously, because he’s number six in the line of “gray men”. Or maybe it really is, as Six says, because “007 was taken”.
And, this time, Chris Evans gets to play the bad guy. A really bad guy. He is the “psychopathic adversary” (official description) of Six (Gosling) and Chris Evans is clearly having a blast. Especially in terms of the dark humor that we rarely see him use.
In The Gray Man, Chris Evans is having a party while Ryan Gosling is getting beaten and blown up. Okay, and also, he gets to beat and blow up many other people.
Other cast members include a kick-ass and awesome Ana de Armas (Deep Water), a very irritating smart-ass character played by Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton). Plus Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections), Dhanush, Wagner Moura (The Shining Girls), and Alfre Woodard.
I really enjoyed the fact that in The Gray Man, the villain is someone from a government-run place. Not just the classic (or stereotypical) “foreign” enemy. Be it an actual alien such as Thanos or some religious or political fanatical group.
The Gray Man is an actual CIA operative, but the kind that nobody knows about or will acknowledge if they get caught. Ryan Gosling plays the character officially named “Sierra Six”. He was plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton).
A new boss at the CIA seems to think that “The Gray Man” program is outdated and so he seeks to “retire” these agents. This is how Six ends up getting hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), who is a “private contractor” hired by the CIA. In other words, he doesn’t have to live by any official rule book.
And he really doesn’t! It’s an extremely simple premise, but it works, and (of course) there are some extra details to the plot. But I’ll let you figure those out for yourself when you watch it.
Anthony and Joe Russo are the directors of The Gray Man and the two definitely know how to create awesome action scenes. They also directed many Marvel movies including Avengers: Endgame (2019).
It’s based on the novel “The Gray Man” by Mark Greaney while the screenplay is by Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely.
This new Netflix movie is the most expensive to date and when you watch the action scenes, it’s obvious why. Though let’s be honest, surely this cast (and the director duo) also cost a pretty penny. Well, they’re worth it. And don’t worry, this will definitely be a Netflix movie that will break records for the streaming giant.
The Gray Man is out on Netflix globally from July 22, 2022.
