In Wolfs, George Clooney and Brad Pitt bicker to mediocre results—but the movie still deserved a real shot in theaters.

Unceremoniously released straight to Apple TV+, this mid-range thriller comedy has the two A-listers playing competing fixers, who are both brought in to cover up the unfortunate death of a male prostitute to avoid a scandal involving a district attorney. There’s more at play as you’d expect from a crime thriller like this, but in reality it’s an opportunity for Clooney and Pitt to gently quarrel and eventually team up to solve their mounting problems.

On paper, Wolfs sounds like a fun proposition—we don’t get many movies like this these days, ones that heavily rely on legit star power to overcome minor deficiencies.

Sadly, the result is indeed mediocrity. Yes, Clooney’s charisma and Pitt’s under-appreciated talent can go a long way, but the screenplay needed a couple of more rounds before going into production. What you get is a mildly amusing, largely forgettable caper that simply doesn’t accomplish much at all. Take the same plot but with sharper (and funnier) dialogue, Wolfs could have been something.

Instead, it’s a meek sheep in… well, you know.

However, this is the kind of film that deserves a big screen release—not because it’s good, but because it’s the kind of star-powered so-so film that may not make a ton of money, but would make a decent amount while drawing an older demographic out to theaters. Despite its mediocrity I recommended it to my parents—they immediately opted to watch it and both enjoyed it, just like I suspected they would.

Wolfs isn’t great—in fact, it’s disappointing—but there’s enough to like here for non-discerning audiences who will be satisfied by its many combustible elements thrust together.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.