Something has been going on with Netflix lately. They haven’t been sucking. There has been a brief, beautiful burst of good content.
The latest Netflix movie that kept my attention with no cringe was Grey Man. I swear that Netflix is producing entertainment for us Gen Xers because they are moving away from the woke content that produces chatter but not paying subscribers who spend their time whining for more representation and less toxic masculinity. Well they have Disney+ and Amazon’s Rings of Power to meet their needs.
Which brings us to our featured review. In Grey Man you get a high body count action movie with hints of Commando and other 80s action genre films where the protagonist is both a hard-as-nails killer and a soft-hearted softie who protects the little girl. There’s also strains of the Bourne movie theme of the government trained killer who is now the prey of the same dark ops shop that spawned him.
So there’s very few surprises. The plot unfolds pretty much as you’d expect. But let’s face it, if you’re a Gen Xer like your humble author, you’ve seen it all anyway. Just enjoy the ride. And you will.
As is Netflix’s wont, there’s chases and shoot outs in all the exotic locals of Europe and Asia. It’s as if all action scenes in American movies happen to be in Times Square in Manhattan or Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco – oh wait.
The talent is great. Ryan Gosling, who somber-faced it through Blade Runner 2049, shows a little more nuance in this take and it suits him in this role as a nameless assassin known as “Six”. The relationship building with Claire, the precious (aren’t they all) young girl and damsel in distress, seems a little clunky. Oh yes, Billy Bob Thornton is in it. But it’s hard to see what he does.
Chris Evans’ villain, Lloyd Hansen, is so evil and demented it has to be played cornball intentionally. For reasons I can’t explain, Evans looks like one of the Baldwin brothers from a decade or two ago. Politically speaking, he might as well be. But that’s a rant for another time. Other over-the-top plot devices include a hyper-arrogant agency head who redefines “hostile workplace” and “sexual harassment”.
And we cannot forget the rising star, Ana de Armas. She plays a disillusioned agent who, while not on Six’s side, is an ally.
Don’t expect a satisfying ending, however. This is the opening move in what is planned to become a franchise with spin-offs. That said, this is one film you can stop scrolling your Instagram feed for. Cranky says: a good evening’s entertainment.