Paper Tiger

They say to never mix family with business. When the siblings in Paper Tiger ignore such sage advice, their story spirals into inevitable bloodshed and tragedy.

Bolstered by evocative period visuals and an intriguing sociopolitical backdrop that immerse us in its setting, the latest from director James Gray (Ad Astra) is an intricate examination of a working-class family’s gradually eroding moral fabric.

This low-key drama carries an underlying dread and despair as it recombines familiar narrative elements into a fresh look at institutional malfeasance, sibling bonds, and the elusiveness of the American Dream.

It follows Irwin (Miles Teller), a construction engineer in 1986 New York who’s struggling to provide for his wife, Linda (Scarlett Johansson), and their children.

From the moment Gary (Adam Driver) calls and invites himself to dinner, we sense that he’s not what he seems. A former cop, Gary is a persuasive slick-talker with reckless impulses who now works as a charismatic security consultant.

He presents Irwin a business proposition in conjunction with a Russian firm that recently bought land for development along a canal and supposedly wants to clean up the waterway. “This could be the perfect opportunity for us to do something substantial together,” Gary explains.

Irwin is a cash-strapped skeptic with a conscience yet also a naive optimism. Linda is a dedicated mother whose parental instincts are compromised by a secret of her own.

Ignoring the red flags, Irwin visits the site during off hours and witnesses a crime, discovering too late the involvement of cutthroat Russian mobsters.

Amid a maze of conspiracies and corruption, both brothers get in over their heads, damaging their already volatile sense of loyalty, and leaving them uncertain about who they should believe — including one another.

On the surface, these are smart and sympathetic people doomed by a relatively innocent mistake, but the truth isn’t so clear-cut.

Those compelling relationship dynamics are what resonates most in Gray’s multilayered screenplay as it navigates a tangle of cloudy motives and shifting loyalties.

Although it lacks some contextual details, the film gradually builds suspense through relatable ethical complexities and fundamental issues of trust rather than contrived melodrama.

Richly textured performances add thoughtful nuance to Paper Tiger, keeping the material emotionally grounded and helping its quieter moments roar.

Rated R, 115 minutes.