‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ Review: Intense Moments Surrounding a Lacking Story

I’m always excited to see something new from Taylor Sheridan in the hopes that it matches the same intensity as his earlier writing like Sicario and Hell or High Water, two of my favorite films the years they came out. But after a lackluster Sicario: Day of the Soldado and an even more disastrous Without Remorse, my excitement over seeing his name attached to projects is waning. Those Who Wish Me Dead is his latest film as both the writer and director and while it is a better film than the latter, it still doesn’t live up to the former films from the beginnings of his career.

Hannah (Angelina Jolie) is an expert bush firefighter and smokejumper but after a tragic fire last year took the lives of three kids she couldn’t save, her mentality just isn’t the same. While out in the wilderness one day she comes across a startled Connor (Finn Little), who reveals that his dad has been killed because of information he uncovered about  some powerful people. Now those same men are hunting him down to tie off any loose ends. Scared and with no one left, Connor puts all his trust in Hannah to protect him from both the assassins after him and a raging wildfire they have set to flush him out.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is Sicario 2 meets Only the Brave. On one hand you have this intense action thriller where a person must protect the helpless because they have a secret so big that everyone wants them dead. Throw Mother Nature and a survivalist mentality into the mix and you have Taylor Sheridan’s latest film. Sheridan’s signature intensity that is present throughout his films is one of the highlights of Those Who Wish Me Dead. The assassins, played by Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult, are absolutely brutal and ruthless as they leave no stone unturned and are willing to do whatever it takes to complete the job. The dialogue can be a bit hammy at times and is often under-delivered, but the action sequences are riveting, building tension at just the right moments and then delivering wild shootouts paired with hauntingly beautiful but deadly fires blazing all around.

By far the best parts of the film come from Medina Senghore who plays Allison, the pregnant wife of Jon Bernthal’s sheriff. The two of them get caught up in the firefight that ensues and it’s Allison who shines with her take no prisoners attitude. She’s smart, resourceful, and oftentimes gets the upper hand of everyone around her, all the while being six months pregnant. I honestly wish it was her who Connor ran into initially. While Angelina Jolie is fine in the role, her performance is a little bit stiff. It’s especially noticeable when seen next to the fantastic Senghore. Put her in more action movies saving the day right now.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is a suitable action thriller that delivers plenty of intense moments but also delivers the bare minimum in many other aspects. The story itself is lacking, especially since so much revolving around Connor and his dad is left to vague reasoning, not to mention the random and out of place cameo by Tyler Perry as the guy in power pulling all the strings. Part of me wishes that we got more backstory about these characters. At the same time, I feel like any more would have just slowed down the film even further. Still, a breakout performance from Medina Senghore makes it absolutely worth it in the end.