Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Raymond And Ray’ A Great Concept, but Ultimately Rather Dull

REVIEW: ‘Raymond And Ray’ A Great Concept, but Ultimately Rather Dull

Aaron PhillipsBy Aaron Phillips10/17/20223 Mins Read
Raymond And Ray - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Raymond And Ray - But Why Tho

Formidable partnerships in film can make or break a project that leaves a lasting impression. So upon hearing that Raymond And Ray, an Apple TV+ movie exclusive, would pair the enigmatic talents of Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke as brothers I was first in line to check this project out. Following the news that their heartless father has passed away, the two brothers reunite to say their final goodbyes and double check the old man is actually dead and buried. But Raymond (McGregor) and Ray (Hawke) will learn more about their father from those around them than they ever realized.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Written and directed by Rodrigo García, the story peels back the layers of Raymond and Ray’s deeply bitter relationship to their father to the extent it’s become a formative part of who they are as adults. After spending years apart, the brothers begrudgingly come together to bury the very root of their problems and finally shed the weight they’ve carried around for decades.

I expected more from this film, especially when you have two mega talents like Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor at your disposal capable of some big emotional performances. It’s not to say their performances are terrible, because they undoubtedly carry the film. Rather, the script they’re working with and the choice of narrative direction just aren’t quite as compelling as they should be.

The largest problem is that while the focus is on the grief, or more likely, the relief, these two middle-aged men are processing, they’re also reconnecting after years apart. So there is an awkward space that exists between them as they re-learn to become familiar while they also process their own grief throughout the journey. With this somber tone, the pace of the film moves somewhat excruciatingly. The offset to this is the gallows humor that’s supposed to be present, creating a dark dramedy, but the balance is off. There are certainly moments of morbid humor that land but they’re captured really poorly, so you don’t get the full hit of humor.

There are also just a few lingering subplots set up for both main characters that fail to add any value. Instead, they muddy the brothers’ translations of their own grief and the understanding that the man they knew wasn’t the man they knew after all. This was by far the most interesting thread of the entire film. It was the experience of Raymond and Ray talking with the people closest to their father in the latter stages of his life and celebrating his presence. Yet, the dialogue fails to really scratch the surface or find the words to contextualize the son’s frustrations at missed opportunities or their anger at their own mistreatment.

Raymond And Ray had a great foundation, with an interesting concept at the core, but it fails to realize the full potential of what it could have been. While McGregor and Hawke hold this film up, they were also heavily underutilized given their range and ability. It’s an interesting watch, but it at times also feels painfully slow.

Raymond And Ray will be available exclusively on Apple TV+ Friday, October 21st, 2022.

Raymond And Ray
  • 6.5/10
    Rating - 6.5/10
6.5/10

TL;DR

Raymond And Ray had a great foundation, with an interesting concept at the core, but it fails to realize the full potential of what it could have been. While McGregor and Hawke hold this film up, they were also heavily underutilized given their range and ability. It’s an interesting watch, but it at times also feels painfully slow.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘A Plague Tale: Requiem’ is Deliciously Heartrending (PS5)
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War,’ Episode 2 — “Foundation Stones”
Aaron Phillips
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Aaron is a contributing writer at But Why Tho, serving as a reviewer for TV and Film. Hailing originally from England, and after some lengthy questing, he's currently set up shop in Pennsylvania. He spends his days reading comics, podcasting, and being attacked by his small offspring.

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here