Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Emma has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey – she also has a secret life as an assassin for hire – a secret that her husband David discovers when the couple decide to spice up their marriage with a little role play.
Role Play is a fairly by-the-numbers action-comedy that blends the assassin-with-a-secret-life premise (think Mr. & Mrs. Smith lite) with suburban marriage comedy to middling effect. The plot is predictable and leans heavily on well-worn clichés acknowledged even in its own keywords. Kaley Cuoco and David Harbour have decent chemistry and elevate the material somewhat, giving the acting a slight edge above average. The cinematography is functional but unremarkable, doing little to distinguish the Berlin or New Jersey settings. Novelty is low — the concept is derivative and the execution doesn't bring a distinctive enough voice or style to separate it from similar fare. The ending wraps up neatly but without much surprise or resonance, landing as serviceable at best.