Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
When a shadowy CIA agent uncovers damning agency secrets, he's hunted across the globe by a sociopathic rogue operative who's put a bounty on his head.
The Gray Man is a glossy but formulaic globe-trotting action thriller that fails to distinguish itself from countless similar spy-action films. The plot is a by-the-numbers chase narrative with predictable beats and thin character development. Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans commit to their roles — Evans in particular has fun with his campy villain — lifting the acting above the generic material. The cinematography is competent and polished, befitting a big-budget Netflix production, though rarely inspired. The film offers little novelty, recycling well-worn CIA rogue-operative tropes without a distinctive voice or fresh angle. The ending resolves predictably and sets up a sequel in a way that feels obligatory rather than satisfying.