Film Review: Those Who Wish Me Dead
Angelina Jolie is back in a storm of bullets and flame
Kicking the moral complexities of his bracing “Frontier Trilogy” to the curb, Taylor Sheridan’s Those Who Wish Me Dead is a by-the-numbers action thriller buoyed by its character work and unique setting. A properly subdued performance showcases Angelina Jolie’s quiet gravitas, revealing just how much her presence has been missed on the big screen. Its narrative may be thin, but Those Who Wish Me Dead’s dual threats of ruthless assassins and unforgiving elemental forces leave a lasting impression. Minor spoilers ahead…
Launched into the spotlight with his powerful script for 2016’s Denis Villeneuve thriller Sicario, writer and filmmaker Taylor Sheridan has rounded out the last decade expanding his unofficial “Frontier Trilogy.” What can only be described as grizzled neo-Westerns dabbling in contemplations of morality, Sheridan’s films transpose their beleaguered woman protagonists onto vividly unforgiving settings. Whether it’s the sweltering Southwest heat of Sicario and Hell or High Water or the biting frigidity of Wyoming in Wind River, Sheridan’s stages are often as interesting as his characters. His latest thriller, Those Who Wish Me Dead, is no different; taking place in Montana’s wildfire country, the film pits a traumatized smokejumper (Angelina Jolie, returning to her dramatic roots) and her charge (Finn Little) against ruthless assassins and an out-of-control blaze.
Those Who Wish Me Dead, which author Michael Koryta adapts from his own novel of the same name, revolves around firefighter Hannah Faber (Jolie), who finds herself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy and a cat-and-mouse game with a pair of ruthless, father-son assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult), the Blackwells. Still reeling from a miscalculated jump during a wildfire that resulted in tragedy, Hannah one day stumbles upon Connor Casserly (Little), a desperate kid on the run from the hitmen who just murdered his whistleblower father (Jake Weber). Soon enough, the Blackwells’ murderous web engulfs the entire community with calculating murders and a purposefully lit fire, while also drawing in the local sheriff (frequent Sheridan collaborator Jon Bernthal) - Hannah’s old flame - and his heavily pregnant wife (Medina Senghore).
“Whether it’s the sweltering Southwest heat of Sicario and Hell or High Water or the biting frigidity of Wyoming inWind River, Sheridan’s stages are often as interesting as his characters.”
In a roundtable segment for The Hollywood Reporter back in 2016, Taylor Sheridan recounts his writing and filmmaking philosophy: “I’m allergic to exposition. Now, in my writing, I look for absurdly simple plots so that I can simply focus on the characters.” With Those Who Wish Me Dead, Sheridan brings his mantra to the barest it’s ever been. Jettisoning the moral tensions of his “Frontier Trilogy” to a fault, this is typical action-thriller fare that recalls the bygone era of Peter Weir’s Witness or Ron Howard’s Backdraft, and the film offers base thrills we’ve all seen time and time again; but where the story lacks in meat on its bones, it more than makes up for with its character work. Also in the film’s favor is its unique setting, which amplifies the narrative’s suspense and action beats, especially for Hannah and Connor as they dodge bullets with lightning strikes on their heels and smoke in their faces.
With Those Who Wish Me Dead, Angelina Jolie, whose last decade of work has skewed more towards voice work and fantasy with Kung Fu Panda and Disney’s Maleficent films (not to mention her own filmmaking career), has reignited her dramatic chops. But those looking for Jolie to re-inhabit her action heroine status - a lá Salt or Wanted - will likely be disappointed; with the role of Hannah Faber, Jolie digs inward and gives a subdued performance, but one that still radiates with her triple-A movie star gravitas. Shifting effortlessly among shit-talking with the boys, maternal concern, and tortured guilt, Jolie is in excellent form here - it’s a role that will likely never effuse glowing praise, but it’s mighty impressive in its chameleonic subtleties. And what Sheridan says about his dedication to characters is undoubtedly true for the rest of the cast as well: Everyone gets a chance to shine. Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult - with Hoult cutting sharply against the grain of his type - are more than run-of-the-mill menacing with their brutally efficient coverups and nonchalant murders, while Jon Bernthal and Medina Senghore offer memorable supporting turns with their combined wile and take-no-shit attitude.
Those Who Wish Me Dead, with its predictable turns and no-frills storytelling, never rises to the heights of Sheridan’s challenging and contemplative “Frontier Trilogy,” but it does prove the director’s versatility within his own wheelhouse. It may not have the nihilism and ambiguity of Sicario, the tragic humanism of Hell or High Water, or the compelling bitterness of Wind River, but it rounds out Sheridan’s filmography with elemental ferocity and a jolt of crowd-pleasing adrenaline.
