Wolfs

George Clooney and Brad Pitt are certified A-list stars with charisma and mainstream appeal to spare, although Wolfs does not sufficiently leverage that to its advantage.

This breezy crime comedy coasts on the adversarial chemistry of its stars, saddled with a formulaic script. It feels like a low-stakes side project for everyone involved.

Both play shadowy figures engaged in an ego-driven rivalry in this saga that begins with high-powered district attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan) panicking over the apparent dead body of a young junkie (Austin Abrams) she had invited for a tryst in her New York hotel penthouse.

She desperately calls a number saved anonymously in her phone reserved for such emergencies. The man (George Clooney) who picks up gives Margaret specific instructions and arrives shortly afterward to clean up the mess.

So does another fixer (Brad Pitt) claiming to have been hired by the hotel owner (voiced by Frances McDormand), who spotted the disturbance through a hidden camera and is eager for it to go away.

From there, the film cautiously fills in limited details about the disturbing scenario and those trying to cover it up.

The problem is that both “lone wolfs” insist on working alone, in part to maintain their anonymity. And in this case, they’re forced into a reluctant partnership characterized more by suspicion than trust.

Further complications arise when their meticulous cleansing of the crime scene misses a surprise that triggers entanglement with ruthless Albanian mobsters — putting their resilience and cunning to the ultimate test.

Some of their deadpan banter in the screenplay by director Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming) is clever and amusing, but not to the extent that either character is necessarily deserving of our rooting interest.

Unspooling over the course of a single night, the film offers a slick and stylish depiction of snowy urban streetscapes and nocturnal back alleys.

Character depth and moral complexity are minimized by the nature of the material, yet there are inspired moments, such as Clooney’s character blaring Sade’s jazzy ballad “Smooth Operator” on his car radio seemingly as a self-motivating anthem.

However, as it transitions from buddy-comedy territory into more of a straightforward thriller, Wolfs becomes repetitive instead of mustering much suspense. The result winds up more silly than substantial.

Rated R, 108 minutes.