Guy Ritchie's New Movie Is Yet Another Run-Of-The-Mill Action Flick With Disastrous 47% on RT

In the Grey is Guy Ritchie's seventeenth feature film. This time, he reunites with stars from his previous movies: Jake Gyllenhaal, Henry Cavill, and Eiza González.

While the cast is impressive, this action thriller lacks anything else.

What Is 'In the Grey' About?

Billionaire Salazar runs illegal financial schemes in a Spanish-speaking country. His schemes attract the attention of the secret service and the lawyer, Rachel. She recruits two operatives, Bronco and Sid.

They are to travel to Salazar's island, where he maintains his own police force and private army. The plan consists of three stages: developing an escape route, negotiating, and making a spectacular escape.

If you're hoping for surprises along the way, you're out of luck. Everything the characters say in the first half of the movie happens in the second half, without a single deviation.

'In the Grey' Reveals the Director's Fatigue, Which Cannot Be Concealed Even by a Stellar Cast

In the Grey begins with a tedious introduction. González's monotonous voice-over recounts the geopolitical situation, money laundering schemes, and her character's professional toughness.

Ritchie's typical technique works in reverse here. While Hugh Grant could deliver the Declaration of Independence with gusto in The Gentlemen, here, you just want the lecture to end.

When Cavill and Gyllenhaal's characters arrive on the island, they reveal everything that will happen in the finale – what's supposed to go wrong does, what's supposed to work does, and there's no intrigue.

Ritchie's filmmaking lacks passion, interest, and inventiveness. Is rhyming a plan of action with making coffee really the pinnacle of visual storytelling from the man who directed Sherlock Holmes and Snatch?

'In the Grey' Is an Action That Never Happened & a Duet That Didn't Go as Planned

For an action movie, In the Grey saves all the action until the final showdown, which is far too long. There are only two action scenes in the first hour, and they look like they were added during reshoots at the request of investors.

Although the movie is being billed as the first to feature Cavill and Gyllenhaal together, don't expect another buddy comedy classic. Just as there was tension between Cavill and Hammer in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., this duo is equally disjointed.

Gyllenhaal looks tired, and his banter with his costar sounds like Ritchie never came up with a witty retort. Cavill seems disengaged – he seems to be preoccupied with the Highlander remake or any other project.

The movie's title, In the Grey, is fitting – the film is mired in greyness, with dark interiors, lifeless plans, and a complete lack of Ritchie's signature style.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'In the Grey'?

• In the Grey has 47% from critics and 84% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, In the Grey scored 3.0/5.0.

Where to Watch 'In the Grey'?

In the Grey is currently playing in theaters.