Rachel (Eiza Gonzalez) is a shadowy operative who works “in the grey” for the types of client who require assistance outside of the usual channels. Hired to recover a billion-dollar fortune stolen by a ruthless criminal despot, she sets in motion an impossible heist with the help of her team leaders Sid (Henry Cavill) and Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal).

In The Grey is possibly the most fun I have had watching a Guy Ritchie movie since 2019’s The Gentlemen. It is still very much in the same vein as his recent films, a by-the-numbers action flick, but he gets a few key elements right in the delivery. Firstly, there is a return to form by way of witty banter that is a Guy Ritchie trademark. Secondly, the running time is far more appropriate for a lightweight action romp, coming in at a spritely ninety-eight minutes. And finally, thanks to his three leads and an interesting impossible mission set-up, the action feels cool and fun. All of which means that for all of its predictability, it actually feels like Guy Ritchie of old.

The plot flirts with a little bit of seriousness. Crime lords and corporate executives are not too far removed from each other, and Ritchie has inserted the superb Rosamund Pike into a role that keeps that section of the plot standing. But the focus in the main is all about a superbly oiled plan in the vein of an Ocean’s Eleven or Mission: Impossible. Eiza Gonzalez does all the heavy lifting by way of extensive voiceover that tells us just how detailed the plan is in every aspect, whilst Cavill and Gyllenhaal’s characters look effortlessly cool and brilliant at what they do whilst throwing witty jibes at each other. The many chase sequences and shoot-outs that are dotted throughout are tense and engaging, and there are plenty of obvious sacrifices that will be made along the way.

It is clear that Ritchie has found an affinity with Gonzalez (two films), Gyllenhaal (two films) and Cavill (three films) in the same way he has with Jason Statham (five films)… now they just need something a little more substantial to work on together.