The Gray Man – A Nostalgic Blockbuster Action Thriller

Netflix sure likes to throw money around when it comes to film productions in order to recreate the theatrical experience at home with their own blockbuster fare. Meanwhile, a lot of these films have gotten theatrical releases before dropping on their streaming service to attract more subscribers. That being said, their success rate hasn’t always been there but that hasn’t stopped them from going bigger and bigger seemingly every year. When it comes to recent blockbusters, it’s hard not to think of the Russo brothers. While the Avengers films have come and gone, it’s time to move on and why not another blockbuster of sorts? The Gray Man, based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney, definitely fits the bill for better or worse. This globetrotting action thriller is big and stupid, retconning back to the big stupid action thrillers of the 1990s though is nonetheless entertaining in spite of that. The story may be incredibly generic and arguably silly, however, what makes it all work in spite of that is the trio of performances at its center. Ryan Gosling, a much different Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas all shine amongst an impressive cast overall.

The Gray Man follows an operative in a secret CIA Sierra Program known as Six (Gosling), infamous for his propensity in eliminating targets all over the world. The shadow would ultimately be brought into the light as his latest mission saw him accidentally stumbling onto a drive containing deep dark CIA secrets. Now a target by those looking to keep those secrets secret, it was up to Six to use all the skills in his repertoire to survive and evade those looking to take him out and get the drive back. His main adversary was a former operative and now independent contractor named Lloyd (Evans). A deranged individual with little regard to others, his methods went against the norm and were usually illegal but he had no government or laws to hold him back and was only accountable to the highest bidder. Often leaving a path of destruction and bodies in his wake, he was nonetheless effective. While the premise of the film is admittedly ridiculous and silly, the globetrotting cat and mouse game between Six and Lloyd is where the film truly thrives as it becomes a battle of wits.

The best way to experience that is to turn one’s mind off when it comes to everything else. Bringing plenty of blockbuster-worthy thrills, a large budget meant big action set pieces shot in beautiful locations across Europe that were exciting to watch more often than not be it car chases, gun battles, or well-choreographed fight scenes. While they are as big as they are loud, the camerawork and editing is on the chaotic side which could make it tough at times. Meanwhile, the dialog as a whole was on the cheesy side which was essentially par for the course in terms of generic action thrillers. Therefore, the film more or less plays out the way one would expect, twists and turns included though they weren’t really big twists and turns in retrospect. What is notable is that the film leaves the door open for a sequel if it were to be greenlit. 

At the end of the day, what makes The Gray Man work regardless of its issues, are the performances from Gosling, Evans, and de Armas as Six, Lloyd, and another CIA agent named Dani respectively. The three elevate the material by giving it some life. Gosling brings leading man charm as Six, a man of few words who lets his actions do the talking but also brings a great deal of smarts to the table, making for a compelling dichotomy. In a departure from what most audiences are used to, Evans plays a much different character as Lloyd. It is clear that he is having a blast, delivering a scene-stealing performance as an unhinged assassin with questionable ethics who had plenty to say in comparison. The great chemistry between Gosling and Evans made them a blast to watch as foils over the course of the film. De Armas held her own as Dani, a feisty character and a de facto partner to Six who found herself on the periphery of the main story though still got to participate in a lot of the action.

The Gray Man may not revolutionize the genre but it still offers enough excitement in a nostalgic kind of way assuming audiences are open to it.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.