“The Outfit” (2022) Starring Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien & Johnny Flynn / Z-View

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The Outfit (2022)

Director:  Graham Moore

Screenplay:  Graham Moore, Johnathan McClain

Stars:  Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, Johnny Flynn, Simon Russell Beale, Alan Mehdizadeh, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Chiedu Agborh and Michael Addo. 

Tagline: Every Suspect Fits a Pattern

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

1956.  Chicago.  Leonard Burling (Rylance) is a gentleman cutter.  Some might call Burling a tailor, but they wouldn’t understand his craftmanship or the pride he takes in his work.  Burling’s shop is frequented by men who want tailored suits so they look their best.  What those customers don’t know is that in the back room is a drop box used by the Roy Boyle (Beale) gang to pass along dirty money and messages.

Burling keeps his nose out of who uses the drop box and what may go into it.  He just wants to make the finest suits possible.  All of that changes when Richie (O’Brien), Roy Boyle’s son and Francis (Flynn), Richie’s bodyguard, show up unexpectedly at the shop one evening.  Richie has a brief case and a bullet wound.  He was shot in a confrontation with members of the LaFontaine family. The brief case contains a tape recording that could bring down the Doyle family.

Richie is bleeding out.  Cops are everywhere.  The LaFontaines are still looking for them.  Richie will die unless something is done… and that tape needs to be hidden.  Burling is put in a position where helping or not helping could get him killed.  Richie’s dad and backup is on the way… but so are the cops and the LaFontaine gang.

The Outfit is easily one of the best films of the year.  Screenwriters Graham Moore and Johnathan McClain have crafted a story where every scene intensifies the action and takes the characters in a different direction with the same destination — people are going to die.   First time director (and co-screenwriter) Graham Moore has faith in the story and actors to let scenes go on without quick cuts.  Every actor does an outstanding job and rises to the level of the material given.

I cannot give The Outfit or the folks behind it enough praise.  I was surprised at the revelations that just kept coming and the twists that kept ratcheting up the stakes.  The Outfit is a movie I look forward to sharing and watching again.

The Outfit earns 5 of 5 stars.