Those Who Wish Me Dead – Movie Reviews by Ry!
Those Who Wish Me Dead – Fire in the Thrill: A Common Survival
In the world of film, the escape provides a window into a character’s journey. Traveling along this path can be filled with bombastic overtures to dramatic conflicts. Pushing forward on this journey will generate certain amounts of thrills. In this review, I look at a film that provides a simple notion of the thrill. With a general setup, you are pushed through a journey of the human will. Those Who Wish Me Dead might spin simple threads, but it will set fire for a genuine fight for life.
After witnessing a set of murders, an unlikely relationship between a boy and firefighter must outlast the night of assassins and a wildfire. The heart of the film is based in the aspect of the typical action/thriller. The director (Taylor Sheridan) builds the story within the basic elements of the genre. The first act encompasses setting up all the main players. You have Conner (Finn Little), a young boy who is on the run with his father from a couple of assassins. The father/son duo has information that puts a target on their lives. Paralleling this is the relationship between Hannah (Angelina Jolie) and Ethan (Jon Bernthal), a firefighter and sheriff in Montana with a tragic past. These two unrelated plots are brought together through setups of murders and familial ties. Once the key incident happens, it leads to a second act that moves the characters through a typical ‘cat-and-mouse’ game. The simplistic build alludes to some predictable mishaps, but it also gives room for that ‘edge of the seat’ thrills for the characters to play is this sandbox. As Hannah and Conner make their way through the wilderness, human veracity is pressed against the unpredictability of mother nature.
The generalization of the story provides a stagnation in the buildup, but it is the chase that lifts the basic writing above the foundation. With no forced explanation of ‘backstory’, we are given that emotional overtures through an unorthodox threading of character dynamic and nature. These additional conflicts allow for unexpectedness in choice, creating an authenticity to a common concept. As the characters eventually come face-to-face, it leads into a third act of adrenaline filled conflict. This leads to a full circle climax, providing a window to some emotive closure. Those Who Wish Me Dead is you everyday thriller that does what you expect. Even in that commonplace, there is enough moments for an enjoyable time. If you are a fan of those involved or like thrillers, this is one for you. This would be a fun time at the theaters for the right price.
Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)