One of the many writers that has gone under the radar in Hollywood is Taylor Sheridan. He has wrote some of the greatest slow-burn dramas of the 2010s such as Sicario and Hell or High Water and even directed the magnificent Wind River. Now, the director has returned with his third feature-length movie, Those Who Wish Me Dead, which is now available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray and on Digital Platforms, courtesy of Warner Brothers. But, is Sheridan’s latest movie worth buying?
Stationed in a lonely fire lookout tower in the heart of Montana’s green wilderness, guilt-ridden Hannah Faber (played by Angelina Jolie), a daredevil smoke-jumper with a death wish, is still struggling to cope with her emotional trauma after a disastrous failure of judgement. She then crosses paths with Connor (played by Finn Little), a teenage murder witness who has found himself pursued by twin assassins bent on silencing the boy for good.
The story is fairly simple and straightforward and because of that, you seriously buy into the relationship between Hannah and Connor. The movie certainly takes its time to build up the characters’ backstories (especially Hannah’s) before they must rush to safety before they are killed by assassins or the fiery blaze that surrounds them. Angelina Jolie and Finn Little are both great in the film. Both actors brought so much emotion and intensity to this project and you can see that incredibly clearly on-screen. Jolie, once again, proves she is one of the greatest actresses in the industry while Little proves he’s a young actor to look out for. He brings the heart to the entire story and you are rooting for his character throughout the film.
The action is also great. While it may be minimal, it is tense, brutal and quite bloody in places. From the watchtower shootout to the roadside attack, all the action sequences are highlights in Those Who Wish Me Dead. It is all filmed to perfection and feels like a throwback to some of the white-knuckle survival thrillers of the ‘90s.
However, on the Blu-ray copy of Those Who Wish Me Dead, the special features selection is fairly lacklustre. There is only one behind the scenes feature titled ‘Making Those Who Wish Me Dead’ that lasts fourteen minutes. Personally, I wanted to see a bit more on the disc but if you aren’t particularly interested in the special features, then this is still a must buy.
My other critique with the film is regarding the ending. It feels incredibly anti-climactic. Sheridan builds up the tension immaculately for eighty-odd minutes and then doesn’t live up to what I thought would happen. It leaves you thinking, “oh, that’s a shame” instead of feeling that satisfaction that the ending desperately wants to leave. The script could have done with one more rewrite to truly flesh out everything that happens during the 3rd act.
Those Who Wish Me Dead feels like a white-knuckle survival thriller that has been ripped straight out of the ‘90s in the best way possible. It is tense, bloody and violent making it another great movie from Taylor Sheridan. Angelina Jolie and Finn Little are both excellent and their relationship is what holds this film together while Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen are great as the two assassins. If you are looking for a great little thriller, Sheridan’s latest movie will certainly keep viewers entertained!
Warner Bros. Pictures presents Those Who Wish Me Dead on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital now.
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