Back in 2022 The Gray Man was unleashed on Netflix with every ounce of hype this streaming giant could muster. Directed by the Russo brothers and written with long time collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, it was designed to rock some industry foundations. Headlined by hot properties Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Ryan Gosling – it sailed in on a wave of pure expectation. This streaming blockbuster with tentpole pretensions was preposterous, pretentious, and simply aimed to entertain. A fact that was overlooked by most critics when it burst onto the scene, with extreme swagger and more than a little bravado.
With Ryan Gosling as the eponymous Gray Man, sent in for a covert op to kill off one of his own, his aims and obstacles are set up in just over 2 minutes. Not only introducing most of the major players in that time but doing so in serious style. Fireworks, flash grenades, and sharp one-liners are in abundance adding some much needed production polish. Throw some exotic locations into the mix, and pretty soon The Gray Man turns into a slick and stylish thriller that rarely misses a beat.
Both Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling seem to be having a ball, as pursuer and pursued, pulling off outlandish stunts that continually up the ante. Leaving Ana de Armas to fill in the blanks alongside Billy Bon Thornton on older statesman duty, with a niece who is perpetually in trouble. Surprisingly, The Gray Man also feels like a Michael Bay movie minus any female objectification or robots. In a word this film actually delivers the goods, whips by at a ridiculous rate, and never aims to be anything other than an immense amount of fun.
Given the star power on board, it is understandable that critics might have expected more from this character acting face off, but ultimately The Gray Man could never live up to the hype. Throw all the guns and ammo at this idea on earth and audiences were always going to be underwhelmed. Aside from this film being 15 minutes too long, there is much to enjoy. Chris Evans is having a ball playing against type as Lloyd Hansen, Ryan Gosling cements his reputation as an action star in waiting, while Ana de Armas does everything in her power to match her male co-stars in the arse kicking stakes. That and the fact Jessica Henwick is all kinds of awesome as Suzanne Brewer, in a role with limited screen time that proves crucial. For that and a multitude of other reasons give The Gray Man a chance and track down this extremely underrated Netflix original as soon as possible.
The Gray Man is streaming on Netflix now.