Once again, Kaley Cuoco is in dire trouble. This time, in Role Play, the star who brought a sense of frenetic delight in The Flight Attendant morphs into an ordinary wife and mother leading a secret life as a deadly assassin for hire. Directed by Thomas Vincent, who delivered fine episode turns in Reacher and Bodyguard, offers a worthy character-driven drama here, blending humor and action.
However, viewers looking for a kick-ass, high-action outing take note: Screenwriter Seth W. Owen (All Nighter) is a shrewd observer of humanity, opting to explore the deeper motivations behind his characters. Heady at times, the film is elevated by its exceptional cast and sharp direction. David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy, and Connie Nielsen are also on board, adding some star quality but also a sense of depth and realism to the outing. Unlike The Family Plan, which leans heavily into humor and absurdity, the director and screenwriter take a kind of absurd situation to draw out universal themes of familial loyalty, protection, and the lengths anybody would go to in order to protect their loved ones — or their own personal interests.
A Different Approach to a Classic Premise
Release Date January 12, 2024
Director Thomas Vincent
Rating R
Runtime 1hr 40min
Pros
- Charming talent makes this better than it has any right to be.
- Thomas Vincent’s direction is very polished, and Bill Nighy is amazing.
- Fun action sequences throughout.
Cons
- We’ve seen this story so many times, even if there’s a twist here.
- Highly unpredictable in its plot, action, and character dynamics.
In Role Play, Kaley Cuoco’s Emma is good at keeping secrets. She had to be to protect her family. Husband Dave (Oyelowo) is totally unaware of Emma’s dangerous occupation. The couple dote over their two children as any parents would. However, trouble arises after Emma returns from what she hopes will be one of her last missions. To spice up their marriage, the couple decide to meet up at a bar and “role play” their way to a romantic night.
Bill Nighy’s Bob Kellerman thwarts that plan. Bob is ready to take out Emma and, in a gloriously witty and well-crafted scene at a bar early on, a sense of danger grows. Bob can’t seem to keep himself away from Emma and Dave’s planned tête-à-tête. What follows sets the film moving into a dense middle before the final third of the film brings various characters together overseas for a major confrontation.
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Owen’s script takes its time, allowing the story to gestate. His intentions become clearer as the film moves along. There’s an expectation going in that there would be a flurry of action sequences, but the story keeps those to a minimum. They are sharp, effective, and pack a punch — literally. Ultimately, what we get are pockets of deeper character exploration intermixed with assassin-like takeouts. Think of a watered-down Mission: Impossible by way of a more sober Flight Attendant.
The Charming Acting in Role Play
It’s not a huge leap to understand why Emma is torn. She’s kept a secret from Dave for far too long. Now, she’s shocked that she’s been thrust into a dangerous situation overseas after Bob’s infiltration. As expected, Kaley Cuoco gives viewers the Kaley Cuoco they seem to love: frenzied, desperate, anxious, reactionary. It worked before, after all. You do wonder while watching Role Play, what lies beyond that character type.
But, this isn’t The Gilded Age, so why expect a sense of panache and snark when you’ve got Cuoco sweating and taking out some bad guys? It does the trick, but here’s to seeing something different in the future. Especially considering that the DC animated series, Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, in which Cuoco lends her voice as Harley Quinn bows this year.
Meanwhile, David Oyelowo stands out in Role Play, effectively capturing Dave’s shock upon hearing about his wife’s secret life. An impulse to head overseas in an attempt to save Emma leads to some inventive choices for the filmmaker, who does a fine job capturing several plot twists once Dave, a fish-out-of-water, enters Emma’s dangerous universe. Witty dialogue, short but effective action sequences, and threads that lead to a climactic finish ensue.
Connie Nielsen offers a nice turn here, too, playing a government agent named Gwen Carver. Nielsen shined in confident roles in Wonder Woman and Gladiator, and she infuses Gwen with a sense of mystery and intrigue. Gwen may be carrying a secret and that thread is well played. Rudi Dharmalingam’s (The Lazarus Project) Raj nicely rounds out the mix of costars here.
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As for the action sequences, director Thomas Vincent remains steady, focused, and grounded in the execution. These scenes arrive, sometimes predictably, other times with the well-needed jolt the film sometimes requires. Cuoco handles the choreography of these “takeouts” to winning ends. She’d be a good warrior princess in a Marvel or DC outing, but with that genre in flux, most fans will be happy seeing her in action thrillers that offer a side of laughter.
Thomas Vincent checks off the action-thriller boxes throughout Role Play, playing it, at times, a bit too safe or underplayed for today’s audiences. That’s not a bad thing entirely, and it’s a testament to the director and writer for being daring enough not to play into the action genre, going way over the top. It lends an extra level of believability to a character-driven outing that finds many of its characters in unbelievable situations.
Role Play can be streamed on Prime Video. Watch it through the link below and check out the trailer:
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