Kaley Cuoco Carries Role Play, But Was It Enough?

Emma (Kaley Cuoco) lives a double life in Role Play. One is full of love and laughter with her husband and two kids in the suburbs of New Jersey, while the other is a life of crime working as an assassin for hire. When the couple decided to spice up their marriage with a little role play, their games take a turn that reveals Emma’s secret job to her unsuspecting husband David (David Oyelowo).

Kaley Cuoco is charming and intimidating in her performance. She balances the well-loved small town mother with the cutthroat assassin edge in a compelling way. The double life storyline isn’t anything new, but Role Play tries to take their spin on it by having the mother be the one with the secret. She has action sequences that are fast-paced and interesting to watch without feeling outlandish and dramatized. However, I don’t think she was used to her fullest potential. 

This movie had some funny moments, but really missed the mark when it came to the comedic potential. Kaley is known for her hilarious performances and really could have brought some of that lightness to this film, but her co-star David seemed to carry the laughs in this one. The film tries to take on a more serious note that doesn’t seem to work in the end. 

The action elements really don’t come to fruition until the very end in one knockout fight sequence that should have left their children scarred. The stunts leaned on the realistic side and didn’t rely on many special effects. It was a fun watch, but seemed confused about who they were catering to. This isn’t achieved well due to the adult plot of their relationship needing some spice despite the film originating in a night out of role play. It felt childish at times, when they could have leaned into a more adult tone and played with the sexy and comedic aspects. 

Role Play is streaming on Prime Video.