Wolfs (2024)

Last updated:
June 9, 2025

Wolfs (2024), directed by Jon Watts, reunites George Clooney and Brad Pitt in a sleek crime thriller about two lone fixers hired for the same mysterious job. Blending tension, dark humor, and star power, the film explores trust and rivalry in a world where nothing is as it seems.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary – Key Segments

Inciting Incident: The “Dead” Kid

Manhattan DA Margaret (Amy Ryan) panics when a young man she met in her hotel room falls off a bed and appears to die. In desperation, she calls a fixer—Clooney’s character—to remove the body and erase the scandal.

Double Fixers: One Job, Two Pros

Before Clooney’s man can work, another fixer—Pitt’s character, sent by the hotel owner Pam (voice cameo by Frances McDormand)—arrives. Both are forced to collaborate after surveillance footage reveals both are involved.

The Discoveries Begin

As they stash the body, the duo finds a bag with four drug packages. Pam instructs them to return the drugs to avoid additional trouble.

The Bar & The Pager

They take the seemingly lifeless “Kid” to retrieve a pager at a bar—his means to connect with the drug’s intended recipient. Inside, they run into a dangerous Croatian gangster, hinting at deep criminal entanglements.

Shootout & Revelation

At the drop point, rival gangs ambush each other. The fixers mow through attackers, and the Kid survives by hiding in a trunk. Now the trio emerges almost unscathed.

Movie Ending

At dawn in a Brighton Beach diner, Clooney’s and Pitt’s characters bond over morning coffee: matching outfits, shared guns, and similar reading glasses. They realize the pager and drug tracker link them to the same mysterious employer.

They piece together the setup: someone orchestrated the entire night—including the Kid’s “death,” the drug transport, and staging the shootout—to eliminate competing gangsters and them along the way. The person behind Pam and Margaret never intended for them to survive. Now, as fresh hitmen converge on their table, the two men—new allies—decide they will fight rather than surrender. The film ends with them ready to exchange real names—if they survive.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

Yes—a mid-credits scene reveals actual CCTV footage from the hotel room that validates Margaret’s account of how the Kid fell onto the glass cart. No extra “double-credit” stinger beyond that.

Type of Movie

Wolfs is a crime action-comedy (or “cleaner” thriller), with strong elements of dark humor and buddy banter, anchored by high-stakes, twist-driven drama.

Cast

George Clooney – Margaret’s fixer (“Margaret’s Man”)
Brad Pitt – Pam’s fixer (“Pam’s Man”)
Amy Ryan – Margaret, Manhattan DA
Austin Abrams – “The Kid”
Poorna Jagannathan – June
Frances McDormand – voice cameo as Pam
Zlatko Burić – Croatian gangster Dimitri

Film Music & Composer

The score was composed by Theodore Shapiro, released September 20, 2024, featuring 19 tracks that underscore both suspenseful and comedic sequences.

Filming Locations

Almost all outdoor scenes were shot on location in New York City—including Chinatown, Brighton Beach, and Woodside, Queens—with additional scenes in Santa Clarita, California

These real-world settings enhance the gritty, authentic urban atmosphere of the crime-thriller narrative.

Awards & Nominations

Wolfs did not receive major awards, though it was part of the Venice Film Festival premiere on September 1, 2024 . Critical reactions were mixed-to-lukewarm.

Behind-the-Scenes Insights

Reunion of Clooney & Pitt on screen for the first time since Burn After Reading (2008), resurrecting their iconic onscreen chemistry
Director Jon Watts stepped away from the MCU to helm this film
Apple originally planned a wide theatrical release but pivoted to a limited one, ultimately premiering on Apple TV+, leading to Watts withdrawing from a sequel deal

Inspirations & References

Homages to pulp-film fixers like Winston Wolfe from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
Dark buddy-cop dynamics reminiscent of After Hours and Ocean’s Eleven.

Alternate Endings & Deleted Scenes

No official alternate endings have been released. According to reviewers and discussion threads, there are no widely known deleted scenes, but talks of extended bar confrontations and extra character backstories exist unofficially. Reddit fans note some glaring omissions in plot clarity.

Book Adaptations & Differences

Not based on any book or comic—original screenplay by Jon Watts. Hence, no adaptation-to-film divergences.

Memorable Scenes & Quotes

Key Scenes

Fixers meet and clash in Margaret’s hotel room
Bar confrontation with Croatian gangsters
Climactic warehouse shootout where the drug drop unravels
Final diner scene with realization of the setup

Iconic Quotes

Pitt’s fixer: “You take a job, you give your word, and that word is the measure of a man.”
Both in unison at diner: “We have the same guy.”
Clooney’s fixer, realization line: “Unless the kid stays quiet, it shouldn’t matter who’s pulling the strings.”

Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

Surveillance footage in mid-credits reinforces early plot
Parallel outfits, weapons, and eye wear highlight fixers’ mirror-image roles
Subtle nods to Ocean’s wardrobe styling for Clooney and Pitt

Trivia

Highest-paid payee rumors (~$35 M) dismissed by Clooney as exaggerations
First feature reunion of Clooney & Pitt in 16 years
Originally planned theatrical release canceled weeks ahead.

Why Watch?

If you enjoy smart comedies anchored by heavyweight actors, like Burn After Reading or Heat, this film delivers that dynamic—against a con-packed urban thriller backdrop. Tension and chemistry outweigh anything else.

Wolfs (2024)