Tailors, cutters and seamsters are professions that very few seem to notice until their services are required, despite them being the foundation of society in many ways; their clients usually run the gamut from politicians to everyday workers who employ them in an effort to look as good as they possibly can, whether it be through tailored, bespoke garments or off-the-rack clothing. Graham Moore pays tribute to those who chose this as their vocation in The Outfit, a tense and hypnotic crime drama in which he tells the story of a mild-mannered cutter working in a small Chicago tailoring store sometime in the 1950s, which is also used by the local gangsters as a place to hide their earnings, as well as communicate with one another, our protagonist usually turning a blind eye to these activities, and as a result earning their respect and protection. This is until discord begins to brew from within the mob, and he is dragged into the conflict and eventually reveals that he knows much more than his oblivious persona would suggest. A fascinating character study expertly crafted by a young filmmaker making his directorial debut after some solid writing work, The Outfit is a tremendous gem of a film, a simple but evocative drama that blends genre and conventions in a way that is decidedly much more captivating than we would expect based on a cursory glance. Moore, whose previous credits include most notably his screenplay for the oddly compelling The Imitation Game (which subverted many of the more tacky tropes of the war drama genre) proves himself to be a master of atmosphere, crafting a film that oscillates between subtle moments and broad strokes, evolving into a much more engaging drama that is as daring as it genuinely quite provocative, the various components coming together to form a wonderfully engaging drama that is both a great historical account of a particular era, and a meaningful social statement that is as relevant today as it was when this film was set.

The Outfit is not a film that necessarily leaps out at the viewer and forces us to pay attention. Instead, it tends to focus on the smaller moments, which slightly pique our curiosity and entice us to take a few steps into this story, then gradually find ourselves getting enveloped in the surroundings, which prove to be a lot more deceptive than they seemed at the start. Moore’s intentions here were to craft a traditional, straightforward film, one that resonates as an authentic, bare-bones chamber drama that didn’t require any embellishments and instead stood on the strength of its own premise, which is distinct enough to justify some of the more simplistic choices made in terms of character development and plot progression. Moore is primarily a writer, and working with Johnathan McClain, they craft a screenplay that is evocative and layered, and uses dialogue as the primary means to tell this story. It’s quite rare for a film about gang violence to be this talkative and heavily reliant on conversation, but its actually the aspect that makes The Outfit so compelling, since we find an abundance of meaning in the layers of the writing, details that would otherwise be missed had the film focused more on the action than it did the moments of discussion between the characters. The Outfit is actually a film about communication – the entire premise and central conflict that defines it is formed through the methods of spreading information, and the impact even the slightest misunderstanding can have when it comes to maintaining the balance between these groups. There is a very narrow boundary between a film like The Outfit being based around dialogue and feeling too much like a filmed stageplay (especially with the entire film taking place in a single location), but Moore adds enough flourish to the film to overcome these smaller issues, turning it into a compelling and entertaining crime drama.

The Outfit employs an ensemble cast to tell the story, a smart decision that lends itself to certain themes embedded in the heart of the film that are sometimes difficult to overlook without having a wide range of perspectives. The ensemble is terrific, particularly since it is led by Sir Mark Rylance, who has flourished into one of the most reliable, excellent character actors in modern cinema. It’s sometimes bewildering to imagine that, outside of some smaller arthouse films he made in the 1990s and early 2000s, Rylance only emerged as a viable cinematic presence after Steven Spielberg scouted him for Bridge of Spies and pulled out a truly impressive performance from an actor who everyone viewed as being solely interested in the stage. His work in The Outfit seems simple, but many layers behind it make it so incredibly moving – his subtle, almost milquetoast persona works in the context of the character he is playing, particularly in the third-act revelation when we come to realize that he is not exactly who he says he is, and in both contexts his soft-spoken, almost ethereal personality is a valuable asset. Zoey Deutsch and Dylan O’Brien have important roles, but neither one of them stands out as anything more than effective pawns designed to supplement the story, with most of the work being done by Rylance and the actors playing the villains, primarily Johnny Flynn (who has flourished into a reliable actor in his own right, and whose aptitude at playing such a despicable antagonist is showcased here), Nikki Amuka-Bird and the incredible Simon Russell Beale, who seems to be on the precipice of having his own cinematic breakthrough like Rylance, emerging from being one of the most acclaimed stage actors of his generation to an unquestionably magnetic screen presence. The Outfit is the kind of film that only works if everyone in the cast is in sync, which is easily accomplished with such a gifted cast at the centre, and where everyone is operating at the full extent of their talents.

Beyond the costumes and striking production design, we find that The Outfit is a film that has something valuable to say, and that it certainly does not intend to just be a straightforward, unnecessarily dense crime drama without some substance beneath the surface. Primarily, Moore and McClain intended to use a popular genre, coupled with a period setting, to create a film that acted as a subversion of traditional crime dramas, not necessarily in style but rather in the statements that it makes, particularly around the concept of masculinity. The opening narration is focused on outlining the process of crafting a suit, which ties in directly to the well-worn adage of “the clothes make the man”, and in this instance, they conceal who they are in reality. The protagonist is a man who exists on the margins, someone who barely registers as anyone of note, but whose storied history is carefully concealed under layers of clothing that are not only a social statement (and in his instance, an effort to simply blend into the brown and grey monotony of his surroundings), which is extended to all the characters. The design of the costumes is simple but effective, and we find that a lot of attention to detail is paid in looking at these garments as tools to tell the story of the people wearing them, something that the director constantly emphasises throughout the film, particularly in how every detail is meaningful and contains something valuable. This is further supported by the period-specific details – the film never ventures out of this small tailor’s shop, but it does create an image of this era through the dialogue (both in what is said, and the delivery – the film is remarkably adept at the linguistic nuances of the 1950s, with the slang and rhythm with which these characters speak being quite notable), which paints a vivid portrait of the past and allows it to be a fascinating exploration of a bygone era.

The film industry has never quite known exactly how to use the subject of tailoring and design as a narrative concept – it’s not something that necessarily lends itself to the most vibrant of stories, despite being one of the most precise and fascinating art forms imaginable. We often find these films veer towards being reliant on the genres in which they exist, which gives them structure and allows the filmmakers some space to develop what are clearly fascinating stories formed from the desire to explore their curiosity around a particular subject. It’s a very simple film, and one that relies less on the extravagance or violence usually associated with these stories, and more on the mood and atmosphere, as well as the more subtle ideas that gradually coalesce into this bold, well-crafted crime drama that offers invaluable insights into the lives of these characters as they gradually reveal their true colours. It’s a bold, unsettling and brilliantly-directed drama that may seem limited in scope, but has a remarkable amount of depth and enough unique elements to make it very clear that Moore is as gifted a director as he is a writer, and someone with a lot of promise in the industry. Anchored by a tremendous cast that interpret his screenplay with precision and dedication, and made with a lot of attention to detail, its not surprising that The Outfit has started to develop a dedicated body of supporters, and while it remains relatively underseen as of now, it is the kind of film that will benefit from time, since its themes are ageless and it is ripe to be discovered by those looking for some of these more gnarly, off-beat crime dramas that don’t follow conventions in any way, and instead exist to explore certain themes in a decidely bespoke and daring manner.