Jolie’s newest film sees her fighting fires, cold-hearted hitmen, and feelings of guilt over a past traumatic event that still haunts her.
Those Who Wish Me Dead is the kind of film that would fit right at home in the disaster movie trend of the 90s, battling films such as Dante’s Peak and Volcano for their destructive crown. However, the disaster this time doesn’t take centre stage, encroaching slowly in the background, readying for a fire spitting finish. Those Who Wish Me Dead follows a young boy named Connor (Finn Little) who is on the run in the Montana wilderness, whilst also being pursued by two cold hearted hitmen and brothers, who have orders from a mob boss. During Connors escape, he comes across Hannah (Angelina Jolie), a smoke jumper (the ones that jump out of planes into burning forests) who is stationed in a fire tower in the middle of nowhere. It seems so long since Miss Jolie graced our screens with an action film – I’m still trying to forget about Mr. and Mrs. Smith which I have shamefully watched more than once.
This action/thriller was a genuine surprise, but with director Taylor Sheridan at the helm (known for directing Wind River – which is a little gem – and writing the Sicario films) it was sure to be entertaining at least, and that it was. The ensemble cast carries the film well – although I wasn’t exactly convinced with Jolie as the brazen firefighter. Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult (who play the hitmen) were two of the last actors I could see as vicious killers, but they pulled it off convincingly and expertly menacing. It also had a major trick up its sleeve, using a fabled MacGuffin at the centre of the plot. It revolves around a secret piece of information that the hitmen are trying to cover up, details that we never know about and never get shown. Hitchcock would be so proud… maybe.
Those Who Wish Me Dead begins with Hannah, who mentally struggles to cope after a previous forest fire killed 3 campers and a colleague, blaming herself for the event. She is part of a tight nit drinking group of smokejumpers – the clichés are a plenty with this lot – and their lads, lads, lads, bravado. Due to Hannah’s struggles, she is sent to an isolated fire tower in the forest (as offices go, this one overlooking the mountains will take some serious beating) to keep an eye on things from above. Meanwhile, the two hitmen brothers, Jack, and Patrick, (Gillen and Hoult) have already ticked one person off their kill list – making it look like a gas explosion (they’re bloody crafty) and are hot on the heels of young Connor and his Dad, who know their lives are in danger.
After a couple of near misses for Connor, he stumbles across Hannah who takes him under her wing, vowing to protect him after bonding about who’s life is the saddest (I think the kid takes this one by a landslide). With the Brothers Grimm hot on the heels of the duo, creating a huge forest fire as a distraction, local Deputy Sheriff Ethan Sawyer gets involved (played by Jon Bernthal, in a role that see’s his ass getting kicked for a change), who also happens to be the Uncle that Connor was on a mission to find. With the fire rapidly engulfing the forest, and the manhunt well under way – consisting of some very close calls and pretty decent action – we find out who will be saved and who will be burnt to a crisp, not the most pleasant of endings.
Those Who Wish Me Dead was a decent action film overall, the special effects were good; the fire looked realistic which has ruined films in the past (I’m looking at you Trial by Fire) and the fight scenes were also clean and effective. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a predictable film, you kind of know what direction it is going down but that’s not to say it wasn’t executed pretty well. The film is what it is, a disaster film with all the trimmings. It is entertaining and isn’t that what action films are supposed to do? You won’t remember the dialogue or the acting (maybe Jolie’s over tomboyish approach), but how it was all congealed to create a surprisingly enjoyable film that will ease you nicely into the reopening of cinemas across the country.
Available to watch in your local cinema now.
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