Directed by Thomas Vincent and written by Seth W. Owen (All Nighter, Morgan), I read the synopsis about Role Play where a married couple has one of the spouses as an assassin in secret, and the other is clueless about those activities. I know this is not a new story; I saw a similar film this past year. I like David Oyelowo’s past performances, so I decided to give this film a shot to see if the screenplay has something new to add to this story previously told. Overall, I find predictable storylines, but I find the film interesting with the two leads – Emma (Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Flight Attendant”) and her husband David (Oyelowo).
Their seven-year marriage seems stable and loving, with two children that David cares for when Emma leaves for another business meeting. (At least he is a stay-at-home Dad, or maybe he works from home. His sister helps him, too.) If predictability in a script does not bother you, it can be an enjoyable watch. The one exception I found humorous is Bill Nighy. He has some great scenes with Cuoco in a hotel bar scene. He seems to be an older man trying to pick up the single girl, buying her a drink, but his gift of gab lets the cat out of the bag too soon for most viewers.
Synopsis: Emma has a wonderful husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey—she also has a secret life as an assassin for hire, a secret that her husband David discovers when the couple decides to spice up their marriage with a little role play.
Role Play starts in the suburbs with Emma and David Brackett getting breakfast and other needs for their two children, Caroline (Lucia Aliu) and Wyatt (Regan Bryan–Gudgeon), to start the day. Often, on business trips, they begin to feel a bit distanced, so they decide to plan a night out for their anniversary with plans for a bit of role-play. Their plans are impacted when Bob Kellerman insists on talking to Emma at the bar while she waits for David. Their evening didn’t go as planned.
Information surfaces in the days following their anniversary outing, and Dave is alone at home, trying to make sense of it all. Emma cites a business trip but, in fact, heads to Europe to put an end to the reason she lives the double life.
The action/drama has some humor sprinkled in, and with Oyelowo and Nighy’s talent, aside from Cuoco’s, there were some missed opportunities to elevate the script.
Run Time: 100 minutes | Rating: R
Role Play is on Prime Video on January 12th.
Source: Amazon/Prime Video