In this In the Grey movie review, I look at another fun Guy Ritchie film that could have become a franchise of its own if it weren’t for its production delays and marketing setbacks. A movie originally completed in 2023, marred by poor marketing and long post-production delays, initially dropped by Lionsgate, and unheard of until it shows up on OTT? Well, that just puts the blame on its bad promotion. It’s one of those movies that serves as an example of how a movie can end up being a flop if it isn’t picked up by the right distributors.
Au contraire, when I watched the movie, I was surprised to find that In the Grey deserved a lot more attention than it was given. It is definitely way better than the debacle we saw in the form of The Wrecking Crew this year. At least this one has good direction, great humor, a fun screenplay, and good editing, on top of some good old action. One for the boys, as one would say. While the movie might not have the greatest plot, its biggest strength lies in its badass depiction of power and control. Not to mention one of the most badass duos one could ask for in a movie, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill, and Eiza González as the icing on the cake.
There are problems in the movie, yes, but when you place it against the kind of movies featuring two actors and one actress that we have gotten in recent years, you tend to realise that it’s way above them all.
Direction of In the Grey Movie Review
The movie is literally screaming Guy Ritchie in every aspect. You can see it in the editing and sense it in its quick, witty writing. Larger-than-life heroes who barely make mistakes and have everything planned out, and a team that has to work together to complete a seemingly impossible mission, are some of those typical elements that remind you of his past works. It’s all in there, and you are forever kept on your toes in the way his movies are supposed to keep you. Your heart’s constantly pumping as you wonder how these guys are going to pull it off, even though the director gives us a trailer early on, as if explicitly showing us what the rest is going to look like.
Editing remains one of his strongest suits. Ritchie wraps up the movie in 98 minutes without building on the protagonists and their backstories. You end up with a lot of questions, wondering who these guys really are and how they can be so precise that, even when a bazillion bullets are being shot at them, the probability of them getting grazed by just one remains zero.
It’s almost as if you have seen such movies so many times that Guy Ritchie has begun to feel like a pattern. When there are so many experiments he could try to come up with something different, he chooses to repeat his age-old formula in these movies, with a somewhat repetitive cast.
Plot of the Movie
Let’s take a look at the plot of In the Grey Movie Review in detail. There isn’t much to the plot, technically, but you will see how nicely it is sandwiched between power and politics. Eiza’s character is the most intriguing one as she gradually smothers this big deal of a villain into a mashable pulp. The power game is strong in the movie, and her dialogue delivery hits all the right notes. She plays the character of Rachel, a very clever lawyer who, along with her super-elite group of operatives, tries to recover a one-billion-dollar debt from a big criminal.
A well-planned Guy Ritchie film feels much like his writing: he seems to have planned everything out, and the chances of things going south are really meagre. The story feels like a short film, without a lot of explanations—well, except for the actual plan. There is no character detailing or enough time spent on their backgrounds. Even a time jump feels unexplained, with a lot of unknown characters dying without any reason. When a character dies in the movie, you barely remember his face. But when a black guy dies for a cause, he suddenly becomes the highlight of the movie? Like a collateral casualty for whom no tears are shed, except for some screaming on the phone? That’s it? That’s all the emotion you’re gonna get?
These choices make you want to take this movie very unseriously. But then again, it is exactly what it is: a popcorn entertainer for action lovers, mostly for us men. That’s it! You feel the adrenaline gushing, and then everything suddenly stops at the end. That’s the entire movie in a nutshell.
Screenplay of In The Grey Movie: Review
The movie’s screenplay is saved by the occasional banter between its two protagonists, Sid and Bronco, played by Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal. There is a lot of shit-talking between the two, and you can’t help but guffaw at their brilliant sense of humor—or, technically, Guy Ritchie’s brilliant sense of humor.
The way people address each other in the movie is very subtle and neatly written. Those exchanges are the most memorable things you take away from In the Grey. That being said, unfortunately, there isn’t a profound, very emotional, or even great line dropped anywhere that will make you wonder about the seriousness of it all. But then again, that’s how Ritchie has always been. You feel as if he has come around to your house: you sit, have a few beers, have a few laughs, and talk about some other random stuff that you are probably going to forget tomorrow, and then he leaves. That’s it!
Casting
The actors in the movie are worth mentioning, with the trio stealing most of the limelight. While both the actors remain very chilled out and relaxed in the background, Eiza does a lot of the heavy lifting with her perfect lines. Apart from that, we have Kristofer Hivju from the Game of Thrones world playing a dispensable hooligan who goes out without causing a lot of damage. Rosamund Pike’s role makes it seem as if she was cast in the movie only for her expressions.
Carlos Bardem, elder brother of Javier Bardem, plays a surprisingly good despot. His acting is a delight to watch, and he delivers his dialogue nicely. You can tell at once that he was a great casting choice.
The Final Verdict
In the Grey entertains you well enough that you feel sorry for it ending up being a flop. Like I said earlier, put it against many such movies that have come out in the last few years, and this is definitely better than most of them. It has plenty of action to keep you interested throughout, great editing that makes you appreciate once again the ingenious tricks the director continues to keep in his baggage, and some cool setups and humorous jabs that draw out occasional laughs.
If you enjoyed this movie, check out our Extraction movie review.
In the Grey
