Year: 2022
Runtime: 105 min
Language: English
Director: Graham Moore
A meticulous tailor finds himself caught in a dangerous situation during a chaotic night. Facing a ruthless gang seeking retribution, he must rely on his intelligence and craft to survive. This gripping story explores themes of deception, desperation, and the fight for survival within a world of crime and intricate schemes, pushing the tailor to his limits.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen The Outfit yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!
Read the complete plot breakdown of The Outfit (2022), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
In Chicago, 1956, we find Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance), an English tailor running a custom shop in an area dominated by the Irish Mob, led by Roy Boyle (Simon Russell Beale). Within this turbulent world, Roy’s son and second-in-command, Richie (Dylan O’Brien), along with his enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn), utilize Leonard’s establishment as a haven for illicit cash. Surprisingly, Leonard maintains this precarious arrangement since these mobsters are among his most loyal clientele.
Complicating matters further is Mable (Zoey Deutch), Leonard’s shop receptionist and Richie’s girlfriend, who desires to break free from their mob-controlled existence. She dreams of traveling the world, clearly stating she has no intention of following in Leonard’s footsteps as a tailor or taking over his business. Mable wisely observes that to handle men like Richie, it’s best to act as one of them.
Tensions rise with Richie’s growing mistrust of Francis, who seems to have Roy’s ear. During a fateful night, Francis brings a severely injured Richie to the shop after a clash with the rival LaFontaine family. Under duress, Leonard is compelled to treat Richie’s wounds while also hiding a briefcase that contains an FBI recording detailing the crew’s operations—provided by “The Outfit,” a crime syndicate established by Al Capone. After Francis departs to alert Roy, Richie expresses his belief that there’s a traitor among them, suspecting Francis could be the very rat jeopardizing their operation.
Leonard, sharing a glimpse of his past, recounts his years apprenticing in a London tailor shop before moving to Chicago amidst the poverty of the post-World War I era, where expensive suits were cast aside for cheap blue jeans. When Francis later returns, Leonard cleverly intercepts him, and the two men engage in a high-stakes game of deceit over the missing tape.
The tension escalates dramatically when, amid attempts to retrieve the crucial evidence, both Richie and Francis find themselves in a deadly confrontation, resulting in Francis killing Richie. Just as Roy and his bodyguard, Monk (Alan Mehdizadeh), arrive at the shop, Leonard fabricates a story to cover for the shocking turn of events.
Roy, unwittingly embroiled in a complex web of lies, attempts to persuade Leonard of the significance of the tape that contains vital information for their organization’s survival. Leonards’ cunning facade begins to fade as he and Francis plot to outsmart each other, leading to a tragic confrontation with grave consequences.
As the chaos unfolds, Mable’s character is put to the test. Ultimately, she reveals her own duplicity, selling secrets to both the LaFontaines and the FBI, all while yearning for freedom from her mob ties. Leonard, playing a game of chess against his erstwhile customers, leverages Mable’s betrayal to hatch a cunning plan aimed at exposing the dangerous network in which they all find themselves entangled.
In a climactic twist, Leonard outmaneuvers everyone by planting false messages to mislead the mobsters all along. When the truths burst forth, it’s crystal clear that Leonard’s path has led to a pivotal showdown—he must confront Francis once and for all. As the shop goes up in flames, killing not just the past but also old loyalties, Leonard emerges, leaving behind a legacy of deceit but holding the key to a new beginning, both for himself and Mable. In a last act of escape, he becomes a phoenix rising from the ashes of betrayal and bloodshed, ready to redefine his life amidst the debris of those who underestimated him.
Last Updated: November 03, 2024 at 14:24
Still wondering what the ending of The Outfit (2022) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.
*In the final moments of “The Outfit,” Leonard Burling reveals that he has been secretly orchestrating everything. It turns out he faked the existence of the Outfit, the gangster organization, to manipulate both the Boyles and their enemies. He had planted the false evidence—like the cassette tape and the gang insignia—to lure the gang members into a trap, knowing it would eventually lead to chaos and their downfall. Leonard’s true identity is far darker than just an elderly tailor; he used his sharp mind and criminal past to plot a clever deception, effectively turning the gang’s own schemes against them.
As the chaos erupts during the police raid and violence unfolds, Leonard sets fire to his shop to destroy any remaining evidence of his past, including the fake tapes and his connection to the gang. His actions suggest a desire for closure—literally burning away his former life and the violence he’s been involved in. When Francis, the injured henchman, awakens and attempts to attack him, Leonard kills him with his shears, revealing his past as a brutal enforcer in London, which explains his calmness and cunning.
In the end, Leonard walks away from the burning shop alone, ready to leave behind his life of crime and violence, seeking perhaps a new start. His complex scheme shows that he is not just a passive victim caught in gang conflicts but a mastermind who has used deception and his knowledge of the criminal world to manipulate the situation and protect the innocent, like Mable. The story concludes with Leonard’s quiet exit into the night, symbolizing a final act of control and redemption, as he finally escapes the violence and darkness that haunted his past.*
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:59
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