Twist and Turns Make for a heroic adventure

Those who wish me dead

by Kathia Woods

A secret, a child, a woman trying to find her way, bad guys, a good sheriff, and fire shouldn't exactly sound like the ingredients for a hit blockbuster, but Those Who who wish me dead is just that. The plot revolves around Angelina Jolie, who plays Hannah Faber, a firefighter in Montana. Hannah is dealing with demons and has a desire to live on the edge. Jolie hasn't had an action role in a long time, and she delivers on all fronts.

The film is based on Michale Koryta's best-selling novel of the same name. Taylor Sheridan both directed and co-wrote the screenplay. Previously, he directed films such as Sicario, Wind River, and Hell or High Water. He most recently wrote the script for Michael B. Jordan's film Without Remorse. The better of the two scripts is Those who wish me dead.

Hannah, played by Angelina Jolie, is far from a model firefighter. She is battling memories of a previous fire that killed someone and numbs the pain with alcohol; however, life soon hands her a case of scared straight when her path crosses with a young man named Connor (Finn Little). The young man arrives with his own problems. He recently lost his father, and some unsavory characters are looking for him. Owen, his father, is the reason for this unwelcome adventure (Jack Weber). Owen, a single parent because of his wife's death, raised some eyebrows when he discovered political corruption. This is the kind of corruption that brings the bad guys to your door for an unwelcome visit.

He realizes the perilous nature of their situation and flees. With his son in tow, he sets out to find his cop brother Ethan (Jon Bernthal) and Ethan's pregnant wife Allison (Medina Senghore). This, like everything else in Owen's life, goes wrong, leaving young Connor with a heavy burden. Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen, two highly trained assassins, are on his tail. Guess who the only person is who can assist Connor?  Hannah. The adventure as a whole is raised to new heights.

Gillen and Hoult play men who are skilled at their jobs but lack a moral compass. Other than the fact that they must kill anyone who might reveal their secret, it's unclear who their employer is. It was nice to see Holt play someone terrible after a couple of comedic turns, and Gillen has made a career out of portraying morally corrupt characters, but in this film he’s deafly terrifying. These two were determined to complete the task regardless of the obstacles.

Connor and Hannah's chemistry was perfect. She realizes that this young man has suffered a great deal in his life and that trust is difficult to come by. She has a chance to get it right with him. Connor, on the other hand, doesn't have a choice; it's either her or himself. The two's relationship makes sense, and it's not overplayed emotionally, but rather a matter of survival.

The raging fires add to the tension in the film. When there is already a strenuous storyline in a film, an additional element such as fire or storms may appear overbearing; however, it works well in this film. Another triumph in this film is that the good guys are flawed, and there is no definitive redemption story. There are several scenes in the film where the bad guys have a chance to win, which adds to the suspense.

 Those who wish me dead is a good adventure action film in which everyone did their jobs well, resulting in a solid film, which isn't a bad thing considering that people sometimes just want to be entertained.