The Outfit, a mafia thriller, is regarded to be a brilliant and captivating yarn of how one savvy English tailor fights to survive a fatal night with the likes of deadly Chicago mobsters. The scene is filled with soft ambient lighting beaming from art deco lamps while happenings in the dark shop go from serene to wildly tumultuous.
Along with the magnificent set design, the film’s costume design is breathtaking, with the suspenseful picture centered on an experienced tailor, whose well-organized boutique is the perfect setting for everything to go wrong one dark and fateful night. The single-set drama, directed and co-written by Oscar winner Graham Moore, grows in tension as tensions mount between those riding out the storm.
Mark Rylance, well known as the friendly giant in The BFG, plays Leonard, an English tailor, opposite Zoey Deutch (The Politician), Johnny Flynn (Emma), and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner). Critics appreciated Rylance’s calculated and calm demeanor as he is pushed into the lethal games of big-time gangsters, awarding the picture a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Richie, a cold-blooded and well-dressed mobster, is played by O’Brien.
Plot
Leonard Burling is an English cutter who runs a custom tailor shop in a neighborhood controlled by Irish Mob lord Roy Boyle in 1956 Chicago. Richie, Roy’s son and second-in-command, and Francis, his chief enforcer, use Leonard’s shop as a hideout for illicit money; Leonard tolerates this arrangement since the Boyles and their men are his biggest clients. Leonard also has a problematic connection with Mable, the shop receptionist who is also Richie’s girlfriend. Mable is uninterested in Leonard’s trade or store ownership, preferring to leave Chicago and tour the world.
Production
Graham Moore’s directorial debut is The Outfit. Moore and Johnathan McClain wrote it, and FilmNation Entertainment produced it. The film was announced in January 2021. Focus Features pre-purchased the distribution rights in February, and Mark Rylance, Zoe Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Johnny Flynn joined the cast. Simon Russell Beale and Nikki Amuka-Bird were added to the cast in April. On March 5, 2021, principal photography began in London, England, with cinematographer Dick Pope. Filming was completed in early April. [9] [8] Editing was handled during post-production by William Goldenberg, while the musical score was composed by Alexandre Desplat.
Release
On February 14, 2022, the picture premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.
It was released in theatres in the United States on March 18, 2022, after being delayed from its original February 25 release date.
Peacock launched the film on streaming on April 8, 2022, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released it on Blu-ray and DVD on May 3, 2022.
The Box Office
The Outfit was released in the United States and Canada alongside Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Umma, and X, and its opening weekend was expected to gross $750,000-2.5 million from 1,324 screens. The picture grossed $1.5 million in its first weekend, placing eighth. During its initial run, men made up 56% of the audience, with those over the age of 35 accounting for 60% of ticket sales and those over 45 accounting for 40%. The audience was composed of 60% Caucasians, 15% Hispanic and Latino Americans, 10% African Americans, and 15% Asian or other. The film fell out of the top ten at the box office in its second weekend, placing twelfth with $568,180.
Acclaim From Critics
Mark Rylance received critical acclaim at the 2019 Deauville American Film Festival in Deauville, France. Mark Rylance was lauded for his performance.
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 85% of 166 critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. “The Outfit isn’t showy, but a good premise and Mark Rylance’s precisely tailored performance make this a comfortable fit for lovers of old-school thrillers,” according to the website’s consensus. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 39 reviewers, indicating “generally good reviews”. PostTrak polled audiences and gave the film a 74% positive rating, with 55% stating they would definitely recommend it.
