Role Play

2024 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 40min

Action ~ Comedy ~ Romance

Starring: Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Rudi Dharmalingam, Connie Nielsen, and Bill Nighy.

“Is that what you want, to mix things up a bit? Or do you want me to be someone else for the night?”

Kaley Cuoco stars as Emma Brackett, a happily married mother of two children living in the suburbs of New jersey with her husband Dave Brackett (David Oyelowo). Emma and Dave both have full time jobs, and Emma travels a lot for her work. Emma also leads a double life that her husband and family know nothing about. As the movie opens she is returning home from a business trip and finds that Dave is making her favorite meal on the grill, Orange Chicken, and the kids have set up the table like a restaurant. Her son informs Emma that he is going to be playing bartender for the evening, and her daughter is going to be the waitress.

Dismayed, Emma realizes that it is their anniversary and she has forgotten. After they put the kids to bed and retire for the evening, Dave gives Emma a present. It is a nurse costume and Dave suggests that some adult role play might help spice things up in their marriage. Emma has a better idea and suggests that the next night they get a babysitter and go into the city to a ritzy hotel and meet at the bar as total strangers. Dave thinks it’s a wonderful idea and they make plans.

The next evening Emma goes to the bar and is spotted by someone from her secret double life before Dave arrives. The stranger, who calls himself “Bob” approaches her and buys her a drink. He hints that he knows who she really is as Dave comes into the bar. Emma brushes him off and Dave circles around to make his move on Emma as a complete stranger. Bob comes back and hints strongly to Emma that her cover is blown and she is not who she says she is. They finally get rid of Bob and go on about their role play date.

The next day after they get home Dave’s sister informs him there was a murder and shootout in the hotel they were staying in. Dave discovers that Bob is dead and the police are looking for the mysterious couple seen in the bar talking to Bob earlier before he was killed. Dave freaks out that the police are looking for them and Emma freaks out because her cover is now exposed. Very concerned about the whole situation she tells Dave that she has to go on an emergency quick business trip and that she will straighten things out with the police when she gets back. She flies to Berlin to meet with her secret life manager to straighten out what has happened.

What follows is a hilarious action filled journey as Dave finds out about her secret life, and Emma tries to set things right in her secret double life and her family life. I am not familiar with Kaley Cuoco although I’m sure I’ve seen her before. And the same with David Oyelowo whose face I know but not his name. I thought they were both really good in this. I could feel the chemistry between them and the love they share for their family and life together. I was completely rooting for Emma to solve her secret life dilemma and get back to Dave and her kids. You could see that that is all her heart really wants, to be back living the simple life with her loving family.

It is more of a family romance comedy than a spy action thriller. I really liked this movie, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the soundtrack as well.