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The one-setting movie is somewhat of a rarity in the modern era. As budgets inflate, the easiest thing to spend money on is more extravagant settings. Then there is The Outfit, which is carried entirely on the narrative and acting of its lead actors, that manages to set itself apart from the others. The closed environment of the movie manages to build an unparalleled level of tension where anything can happen at any moment which makes the movie worth watching.
Above all, a good thriller needs to leave the viewer in a pleasant state of confusion. This is not to say that the viewer has to be baffled to the point that the film is complex to an unwatchable degree; but a healthy level of misunderstanding about what the character’s motives are, what the plans in motion are, and what people are doing when off screen will make the plot more intriguing. The Outfit balances this well by making character’s motivations and actions believable, within the parameters of their character, and also set up throughout the movie so nothing comes out of left field. By the end of the movie when all is explained, it makes sense and the character progressions feel logical.
The fact that the entire movie is set within the confines of a tailor’s shop allows for greater exploration of every character who enters the room. The movie is an hour and 45 minutes and almost every second of the run time is devoted to fleshing out the various characters. The setting also keeps the amount of people in the cast down, so the key players are given a lot of opportunities to act off each other in interesting ways. It is similar to 12 Angry Men in this regard because of how deeply the audience knows every character by the end of the movie.
The acting is all excellent too, although there is also the possibility that the faux Chicago accents may get on the nerves of some viewers. They’re not awful or comedically over the top, but they are noticeably not real. Mark Rylance basically carries the movie as the lead and strong performances by Zoey Deutch and Johnny Flynn help the movie stand out by creating an intense sense of tension all through the film.
The one gripe that could be debated as a negative for the movie is the third act for a similar reason to The Batman. Without spoiling what happens, some of what happens in the third act of The Outfit
feels out of place and the final reveal in the closing minutes of the movie feels tacked on and there is a case to be made that the movie would have worked without that scene.
The Outfit is currently in theaters and should be watched in this format. The inability to have one’s attention pulled benefits this movie greatly. That said, it should be going to Premium VOD soon and, since it is a Focus Features film, it will probably end up on Peacock within the year.
Final Rating: 9/10
