When you think of a thriller or mystery, you probably imagine one big, central mystery that every event in the movie leads up to. The tension builds and builds until it reaches an explosive climax. And when it’s done well, it’s great. There might be smaller reveals along the way, and that’s all well and good. But it’s all about that big finish.
But that’s precisely where The Outfit flips the script, and shines in doing so. Rather than building to one massive reveal, there are several little ones along the way. Every character’s got something to hide, which means every character has something to reveal. Each reveal could be the last piece of the larger puzzle, so you’ve always got to be on your toes throughout.
The Outfit follows mild-mannered English cutter (not a tailer, as he’ll adamantly say) Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance), who honed his skills on the famed Savile Row before relocating and settling in Chicago. He runs a small shop, just him and his assistant, Mable (Zoey Deutch). On the outside, nothing looks out of the ordinary. But it’s what happens inside that sets the movie’s events in motion. Located in a neighborhood controlled mob boss Roy Boyle, Leonard’s top customers are Boyle and members of his crew. Because Leonard likely couldn’t survive without them, he allows them to use his shop as a drop location for messages, money, various mob-related items.
It’s never caused any real trouble for Leonard, until one night Boyle’s son Richie (Dylan O’Brien) shows up with Boyle enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn). Richie’s been shot, and he and Francis have in their possession a copy of an FBI-planted tape that they believe will reveal a rat within the organization. The Boyles now have several crises to deal with simultaneously. Keep Richie alive until they can get him to a doctor. Protect the tape and get their hands on something that can play it. Watch out for, and possibly make a move on, the rival LaFontaine family, those responsible for shooting Richie. Francis forces Leonard at gunpoint to stitch up Richie, and the two of them force Leonard to let them use his shop for the duration of the night, a temporary hideout and makeshift base of operations.
This is where The Outfit takes off. It’s a cat and mouse game with everyone involved. Characters come and go. Information is revealed. Lies are told. Lies are uncovered. And at the center of it is Leonard, who always seems to know more than he’s letting on. But does he? That same question can be asked of several characters we meet along the way.
And that’s part of what’s great about The Outfit. You never know how important a new person is going to be, where they fit in the larger scheme of things. It’s a naturally tense setup. And the single location only serves to heighten that tension. It gives a claustrophobic feel that draws you in, suffocates you just enough until that next small reveal provides a little room to breathe. Right before the tension and suspense kicks in again. Adding to that atmosphere is the score (when you have Alexandre Desplat, though, what else would you expect?). It’s perfectly matched to the tone of the movie.
The pacing is key for a story like this. Wait too long in between bigger moments, and those intervals can drag the movie down. Fire them off too close together, and it becomes too much, maybe starts to feel gimmicky. But director Graham Moore, who also co-wrote the script Johnathan McClain, craft a nearly perfectly paced – and spaced out – story. They leave just enough time to come down from one secret being outed before hitting you with the next.
The one knock on that front is that there are two reveals/twists too many (okay, so maybe two knocks). I obviously won’t say what they are or where they turn up, but there are two that stick out from the rest, and not in a good way. They stand out as even worse after the movie concludes. In looking back, they were the only two that didn’t affect the ultimate outcome or the larger story in any meaningful way. They also felt very obvious. It would have demonstrated more creativity by cutting them out altogether.
The cast is also effective and engaging, and that starts with Rylance. The movie doesn’t work at all without a strong lead performance. He nails Leonard’s demeanor to a T, keeping him consistent and measured throughout. You’re not supposed to ever feel like you know exactly what’s going on inside his head, and you don’t. Zoey Deutch is Zoey Deutch, which means she’s great. Dylan O’Brien is maybe the weakest here, if only because his Chicago accent occasionally dips into parody territory, shades of Nick Miller as Julius Pepperwood. It comes out at some inopportune times, deflating the carefully built suspense.
From a creative standpoint, there’s some clever editing and voiceover/narration that sometimes works. But I don’t think the movie is as clever as it thinks it is. When these choices pay off, they’re quite effective. But when they miss, even it’s only slightly, they stand out a little more. Kudos to the team for taking chances, though. I (almost) always appreciate when a movie takes creative swings.
Ultimately, The Outfit is a fun, tight thriller helped along by an outstanding Mark Rylance and a tension-filled atmosphere that will keep you guessing from minute one.
Score: 86/100
