Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022) Review
Directed by: David Hollander
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok and Pooch Hall, Kerris Dorsey
Synopsis: A showdown decades in the making brings the Donovan family legacy full circle. As the events that made Ray who he is today finally come to light, the Donovans find themselves drawn back to Boston to face the past. Each of them struggles to overcome their violent upbringing, but destiny dies hard, and only their fierce love for each other keeps them in the fight. Whether they stand together or they go down swinging, one thing is certain – Ray doesn’t do loose ends.
Review: Ray Donovan returns. This movie delivers the send-off the character deserves after the series was dealt a shocking cancellation that didn’t make sense as ratings were great. Instead of a season 8 send off we get a movie that ties up all the loose ends and makes a great finale.
Liev Schreiber has never given a bad performance throughout the series and his final curtain call as Ray Donovan is amazing. Fingers crossed we get more TV movies from this universe Schreiber and co have created.
The supporting cast is great, Jon Voight steals every scene as Ray’s dangerous, devious dad, Mickey, a character that you know you’re meant to hate but can’t help but love. Ray is still struggling to juggle life and work, he wants to be a great dad but often finds himself mirroring his own dad. This only causes a wedge between him and his daughter Bridget, who plays quite a pivotal role in this movie, actress Kerris Dorsey does an outstanding job.
Through a series of flashbacks, we get a look back at Ray’s childhood and see him and his dad come to blows. Mickey isn’t a great dad but there is something about him we can relate to, maybe it’s our own faults surfacing? The drive we have to change and not get stuck in a rut of excessive drinking and delving into a underworld of violence, a world Mickey embraced and thrived in but ultimately cost him his family. Mickey’s the character we want to do better, and the character that makes the audience want to better themselves.
From the events of the movie it’s clear to see what direction the show would have gone if an eighth season was greenlit. The show would have uncovered and delved into the backstories of the characters we have followed from day one, essentially revealing answers to questions we have longed to discover. While the movie does give us the closure we need, you can’t help but wonder how great a full season would have been.
Overall, Ray Donovan: The Movie, is a fitting close to a fantastic series.
