By Robert Scucci
| Published 31 seconds ago

After watching 2021’s Kate, the almighty algorithm threw 2022’s The Gray Man onto my radar, and I can’t say Ryan Gosling has ever disappointed me, so I figured I may as well give it a shot. He has a built-in level of charisma that lets him do his thing, and most of the time it lands. Going into the Russo brothers’ film expecting to see $200 million well spent on action sequences, with the added bonus of Gosling in the mix, I didn’t quite know how things would play out, but I had a hunch I wouldn’t feel let down.

But here’s the problem with straight-to-streaming action thrillers. Films like The Gray Man never get much time on the big screen, and they kind of need it if you want to enjoy them at the highest level. Across roughly 400 theaters, the film only brought in $454,023, which isn’t really its fault. It had a very short run across a disproportionately small number of screens, meaning it was never meant to recoup its budget this way. It’s a Netflix Original, designed to pull huge numbers on streaming.

The reason I see this as a bad thing is because this is an expensive movie. MCU expensive. Waterworld expensive. When that much money goes into blowing stuff up in spectacular fashion, I want to see it on a giant screen. Living in an apartment, I don’t have a fancy audio setup because my neighbors would murder me if I did, and my 44-inch TV is fine for most things, but less than stellar when entire city squares are getting leveled with all guns blazing.

Long story short, The Gray Man is a lot of fun, but it would be even more fun if you could watch it the way it was meant to be seen.

Let’s Not Get Bogged Down By The Details

The Gray Man also has an extremely convoluted plot. Not in a “too many twists” kind of way, but it’s a “load up the guns, spray and pray” kind of movie that would have been better served by simplicity. It’s executed well, but as side characters keep getting introduced in the second and third acts, part of me gets annoyed that I can’t fully shut my brain off because there’s always a new name or face to keep track of after the blasting has already started.

Ryan Gosling is a black ops agent known as Sierra Six, formerly Courtland Gentry. He was locked up as a minor after murdering his abusive father, and CIA officer Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton) decides he’s the perfect candidate for a second chance. The deal is simple: Courtland works for him in exchange for his freedom, knowing he’ll be dealing with some very dangerous people.

Once things get rolling, Sierra Six teams up with Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas), and the first mission we see involves assassinating a target named Dining Car (Callan Mulvey). Complications arise when the job goes sideways and Dining Car reveals he’s also part of the Sierra program before succumbing to his wounds. A flash drive gets passed off with vague instructions, and the wild goose chase begins, centering on CIA officer Denny Carmichael (Regé-Jean Page), who sends a swarm of operatives after Six and Dani to retrieve it.

Along the way, we get more backstory on Six’s relationship with Donald and his niece Claire (Julia Butters), who Six previously worked security detail for. This obviously becomes important later because more collateral has entered the equation. The scenes between Six and Claire offer a surprisingly wholesome break from the chaos in Prague, and they’re a welcome addition.

From here on out, you pretty much know the deal. Double crosses stack on top of double crosses, things explode, and there’s so much inter-agency confusion over who’s good and who’s pulling the strings that you almost wish they’d ease up on the exposition and just keep blowing stuff up.

Solid, Pulse Pounding Action Thriller

The Gray Man’s budget absolutely shows on screen from start to finish. The action sequences are gorgeously shot (something that’s not always consistent across Netflix Originals), and at one point Sierra Six is standing on top of a moving tram, firing through the roof while tracking targets through reflections in nearby windows as the city flies past. This comes after he’s handcuffed to a railing in a town square, picking off attackers before they even get a chance to take him out.

Ana de Armas wielding a shotgun after throwing hands is also worth your time because she fully commits when the moment calls for it.

The only real issue I have is the film’s tendency to overload its premise with complexity for the sake of it. Most people don’t turn on action thrillers to do mental gymnastics. At least I don’t. I love psychological thrillers when I want things to get murky, but with action movies, I just want to sit back and watch things explode.

The convoluted plot isn’t a dealbreaker, just a nitpick. Some people enjoy sprawling shadow government conspiracies. It’s just not really my thing, so take that with a grain of salt. It’s still a great watch, just not one you can fully sink into the couch for and completely turn your brain off.

The Gray Man is a Netflix Original, and you can stream it with an active subscription.

The Summer House cast has found a front-row seat to one of Bravo’s most shocking romances.

On Tuesday, March 31, Amanda Batula confirmed her unexpected relationship with BFF Ciara Miller’s ex-boyfriend West Wilson more than two months after she split from husband Kyle Cooke.

“Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it,” Amanda and West wrote in a joint statement via Instagram. “We’ve shown up for each other as friends over the years, through all the highs and lows, and what’s developed recently was the last thing either of us expected. Our connection grew out of a genuine, longstanding friendship, which made it especially important for us to approach this with care.”

The statement continued, “As our feelings evolved, we wanted to take time to understand exactly what we were feeling. We also recognize that this has had an impact beyond just us and never wanted our actions to cause any hurt or be perceived as careless. We truly appreciate the understanding and respect as we navigate this.”

Related: How Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s Romance Compares to Scandoval

Bravo’s biggest reality shows sure know how to bring shock and awe to the small screen. Vanderpump Rules fans will forever remember where they were in March 2023 when news broke that Tom Sandoval was having an affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss while in a relationship with Ariana Madix. The scandal, which earned the nickname […]

While a reunion special with the entire cast is expected to be taped in the coming weeks, many Summer House stars are already weighing in on the surprise romance.

Keep reading to see how the cast reacted to Tuesday’s big romance reveal:

KJ Dillard 

Summer House newbie KJ Dillard shared a photo of Ciara Miller from filming with the caption, “I love my big sisters for life.”

In a follow-up post, KJ posted a screenshot of his music playlist, which included the song “Back Stabbers” by The O’Jays. He added to the photo, “Logging off.”

Mia Calabrese

Summer House’s newest cast member Mia Calabrese showed her support for Ciara Miller when she posted a photo of her costar on her Instagram Story as “Gorgeous” by Doja Cat played in the background.

Weeks later, Mia appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen and offered more details about the scandal. Mia claimed that Ciara had “intuition” about Amanda and West before news of their romance broke.

“I refused to believe it. Then, certain things started to click,” Mia continued before offering an update on how Ciara is doing.

“Ciara is how anyone would be if their best friend started dating their ex,” Mia said. “But, I will say, Ciara is one of my best friends — she’s like a sister to me — she will always thrive and I will always be there to support her. She’s going to be amazing.

Mia also made it clear that thinks Amanda is at fault.

“She’s a woman. I think men, you know, eh. They don’t always think straight,” she said. “Women it’s like, come on, you know better.”

Jesse Solomon

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and Jesse Solomon didn’t hesitate to showcase how he was feeling with one photo.

The Summer House star seemingly addressed Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s romance when he posted a picture via his Instagram Story looking visibly shocked as he read his phone.

Levi Sebree

Summer House newbie Levi Sebree appeared to react to Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s relationship by sharing a meme of herself on her Instagram Story. Days later, she briefly addressed the drama while appearing on the “Taylor Taylor Taylor” podcast on April 7.

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“I don’t want to get into it too much, but I think we’re all kind of a mess in our own little right about everything going on, and we’re going to see how it plays out,” she said. “That’s all I want to say about it.”

Related: Summer House’s Ciara Miller, Amanda Batula and West Wilson Drama Explained

The  Summer House cast drama is raising eyebrows with Bravo fans. Amanda Batula and Kyle Cooke announced in January that they decided to separate after four years of marriage. “After much reflection, we have mutually and amicably decided to part ways as a couple,” their joint statement read. “We share this with a heavy heart […]

Lindsay Hubbard 

Original Summer House cast member Lindsay Hubbard seemingly addressed the headlines when she shared a picture of controversial Love Is Blind contestant Alex Henderson.

“The new publicist?” she wrote via her Instagram Story, hours after news broke of Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s relationship announcement.

Ciara Miller had a feeling that something was going down between Amanda Batula and West Wilson, according to her costar Mia Calabrese.

“Ciara had — her intuition was telling her something and I refused to believe it,” Mia said during her Tuesday, April 14, appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “Then, certain things started to click.”

Mia admitted to thinking it was “impossible” that anything romantic was going down between Amanda and West, because she believed they would “never do that.”

Rumors swirled earlier this year that Amanda and West’s relationship had evolved from friendship to something more. The duo confirmed their romantic relationship in a March 31 Instagram statement.

While Amanda’s estranged husband, Kyle Cooke, has spoken out at length about the entire situation, Ciara — who dated West in 2023 and was best friends with Amanda — has largely stayed quiet.

“Ciara is how anyone would be if their best friend started dating their ex,” Mia also said during her Tuesday WWHL appearance. “But, I will say, Ciara is one of my best friends — she’s like a sister to me — she will always thrive and I will always be there to support her.”

The Summer House newbie continued, “She’s going to be amazing.”

Mia told host Andy Cohen that she knew Ciara for “years” before they were on reality TV together.

“She’s like a sister to me,” Mia added. “I adore her.”

Amid the relationship fallout, Amanda has returned to social media, asking fans for “normalcy” in an apologetic statement on Friday, April 10. Mia reacted to Amanda’s social media message on Tuesday.

“I thought it was interesting that her normalcy was just going out and hitting the bars with West,” Mia said, referring to viral photos of Amanda and West out and about in New York City.

Mia went on to say that she’s placed more blame on Amanda for the entire situation.

“She’s a woman. I think men, you know, eh. They don’t always think straight,” she said. “Women it’s like, come on, you know better.”

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Mia said that both West and Amanda have reached out to her — but she hasn’t responded to either.

“Don’t really know how to respond yet,” she added, noting that West’s message included an apology for “lying to me.”

Summer House airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Jennifer Lawrence is the poster child for easy dressing — effortlessly making tees, jeans and even sneakers look polished and cool. Naturally, her latest look didn’t disappoint, especially since she completed the easy-going fit with head-turning Adidas Tokyo tennis shoes.

Stepping out in New York City, Lawrence opted for a yellow Beatles T-shirt, Hermès Lindy bag and Garrett Leight Woz sunglasses. However, her red striped Adidas kicks completely stole the show. But you don’t have to dish out thousands to get her leather shoe style. In fact, recreating her look is a breeze because the shoes are just $90 at Nordstrom.

Get the Adidas Tokyo Sneakers for $90 at Nordstrom! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The ’70s-inspired footwear features a lightweight design, low profile and bold color blocking throughout. While her exact pair has cream-colored laces, this $90 version offers a strawberry-red Mary Jane velcro design — making it simple to slip on, get going and turn heads. A gum sole also adds stability while contrasting with the clean, marshmallow-hued silhouette.

The Adidas kicks are simple to style, as well. Take inspiration from Lawrence and slip on a pair of casual jeans and a baseball cap, or dress them up with a lightweight knit and maxi skirt. As temperatures continue to warm up, you can wear the sneakers with shorts or a mini dress.

Most importantly, the Lawrence-approved sneakers won’t leave your feet aching, thanks to the flexible sole and cloud-like cushioning. “These shoes are unbelievably comfortable,” wrote a shopper. “Absolutely love them.”

For under $100, the Adidas Tokyo sneakers are sure to go fast. So make like Lawrence and head to Nordstrom to upgrade your sneaker game before it’s too late.

Get the Adidas Tokyo Sneakers for $90 at Nordstrom! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more Adidas sneakers here and don’t forget to check out all of Nordstrom’s tennis shoes for more great finds!