Angelina Jolie leads a star-studded cast in Those Who Wish Me Dead, a neo-western that combines the story of survivalists in Montana with that of cold-hearted assassins. Directed by Taylor Sheridan, best known for Hell or High Water, and co-written by him, Charles Leavitt, and Michael Koryta (who wrote the book the film is based on), Those Who Wish Me Dead involves valiant heroes and no-good bad guys. It’s typical of a Sheridan film and this one seems right up his alley. But while the film has all of the makings of a memorable neo-western and the protagonists are worth rooting for, its premise is lacking and vague.
Those Who Wish Me Dead opens in Florida, where two assassins, Patrick (Nicholas Hoult) and Jack (Aidan Gillen) pretend to be gas leak inspectors to enter the home of a woman and her husband. What they’re really up to, however, is far more sinister in nature — they’ve been hired to kill anyone who knows about an account that was audited by Owen Casserly (Jake Weber) and subsequently go after him and his son Connor (Finn Little). Meanwhile in Montana, smokejumper Hannah Faber (Jolie) is still working through her trauma after a wildfire rescue gone wrong. When she, Sheriff Ethan Sawyer (Jon Bernthal), and his wife Allison (Medina Senghore) become embroiled in the action, Hannah must contend with her past to help Connor.
Most everyone is dealing with some sort of trauma in Those Who Wish Me Dead. For Connor, it’s facing the fact that two men, who kill people so mercilessly, are intent on carrying out their job and ruining his life regardless of what that means for him. For Hannah, it’s having to live with the regret of knowing certain events could have been prevented if she’d simply made another decision. Their circumstances bring Hannah and Connor together, but it’s their traumas that connect them so viscerally. Their bond is what makes the film worthwhile, with Finn Little, especially, giving a heart-wrenching performance that will surely tug at the heartstrings. Jolie is also fantastic and it’s wonderful to have her back in front of the camera, though it’s a shame it isn’t in a meatier role and she often feels overshadowed by everything else going on.
When the film is focused on the survival of its protagonists, it soars, with suspenseful, thrilling, and often heart-pounding moments that are simultaneously captivating and enthralling. Sheridan’s films always work best when they’re focused on those whose voices are being silenced, the underdogs who are being wronged, and this outing is certainly no exception. The decision to marry wilderness survivalists with characters straight out of suburbia is an interesting choice and one that works well enough, with the film building tension through Connor’s reliance on Hannah’s expertise and the assassins losing time. The film sets up the plight of trained, gun-toting hitmen against mother nature and the skills of trained survivalists and explores it with a push-pull dynamic that is compelling, if somewhat shallow.
While there is a lot of suspense and incredible, thrilling sequences, Those Who Wish Me Dead ultimately falls short because its reluctance to delve deeper into the actions that instigate the events of the plot. Owen and Connor are on the run because he’s a forensic accountant who found something sinister — what that is and who it implicates beyond the unnamed people in important positions who will die if it gets out is all rather vague. When the assassins go to meet their own boss (Tyler Perry), their conversation is even more unclear, as though the film is tip-toeing around the subject matter to avoid diving in completely and reckoning with the very premise it sets up. This weakens the overall plot and leaves things more open-ended than they should be. Sheridan has rarely had qualms about taking a firm stance in his films, so to watch Those Who Wish Me Dead turn a blind eye to it in favor of unadulterated action takes some of the wind out of the plot.
There is a lot going on, some of which could have used some fine-tuning at the very beginning before the film fully invests in the chase leading to its big finale. The characters, in their fight to live another day, and the thrilling, suspenseful sequences are what make the film worth watching. However, Those Who Wish Me Dead could have more thoroughly explored the very details that drove the plot, which would have elevated it beyond a basic action-thriller.
Those Who Wish Me Dead will release in theaters and on HBO Max Friday, May 14. The film is 100 minutes long and is rated R for strong violence and language throughout.
Key Release Dates
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Release Date:2021-05-14
