IN THE GREY -- Henry Cavill's Audition Tape to be the Next James Bond

Review by Steve Barton II

Over the years, Guy Ritchie has created his own brand of filmmaking with a specific visual style and his subject matter almost always centered around a heist or criminal operation. With such a fitting name like Guy, it’s ironic that he’s become synonymous with “guy flicks” with big explosions, slow-motion stunts, witty (bordering juvenile) dialogue and incredible fight choreography. When it comes to Guy’s new release, he’s showing that this formula may need some upgrades if he wants to keep filling theater seats. In The Grey follows an elite team of operatives led by the brilliant mind of Rachel (Eiza González) as she completely dismantles the evil empire of Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem) with her elite intelligence and her crew. With Rachel and her two strongest soldiers, Sid (Henry Cavill) and Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) by her side, they are faced with deadly odds while taking on a wicked, powerful billionaire. 

When it comes to the visual look of In the Grey, any person with knowledge of Guy Ritchie could’ve probably guessed who directed this with three tries or less. While it’s not on the same scale as Snatch or Sherlock Holmes, In The Grey still has stylized fights and the creative cinematography that’s become his calling card. The edits heavy on text are also Ritchie coded especially with the scene or location titles naturally put into the foreground or the listing of items on screen (with added silky jokes for anyone paying close attention). Ritchie also goes through phases similar to Tim Burton, where he picks a new “muse” every few years and they star in nearly every project they make. The two men he currently has on speed dial are both Gyllenhaal and Cavill, who have both appeared in several of his movies since 2015.

Jake Gyllenhaal has seen many highs throughout his illustrious career with huge hits and an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain. He’s played a wide variety of roles and goes to vast lengths to become a character, but his role as Bronco was boring and plain. When you compare this performance to a role like Louis in Nightcrawler, it’s disappointing that he basically feels like the same character from The Covenant. Henry Cavill has had some peaks and valleys in his career, but he’s always the high point of the films or series that he appears in. As Sid, Henry utilizes his classic charm and humor that is easy to forget about when looking at his hulking, sculpted body. Most actors usually send in a short audition tape for roles, but Henry has a whole feature length audition for the next James Bond film with In The Grey.

The major glaring weakness that you can’t ignore during In The Grey is the lead performance from Eiza González. While the script was telling us how much of a badass Rachel was and she commands every room she walks in, her delivery was more subdued and a bit wooden. There were moments where Eiza delivers a big monologue and it feels like a silent moment left for applause, but the theater fell eerily silent. The script itself is also extremely expositional with its dialogue and practically tells you how the movie will play out. It doesn’t even try to hit the audience with any attempt at a surprise. It’s almost as if Guy wanted the audience to save their time and take off if they choose and the thought certainly wasn’t worlds away.

In The Grey ultimately isn’t the worst action movie of 2026, but fans of Guy Ritchie know that he’s capable of much more than this. While several people have compared it to Guy’s last film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, at least that film had a variety of incredible performances and a fun plot. In The Grey isn’t a bad or boring experience, but it’s missing the flare and pizazz to set it apart from the many “steal from the rich” movies that come out with regular frequency. Guy needs to return to his low budget, gritty roots and show us why he’s the man once more.

In The Grey is in theaters starting May 15th!

Rating: 2.5/5