Those Who Wish Me Dead

I wonder if I've ever seen a more inept duo of killers in a movie. If they were clumsier, Those Who Wish Me Dead could have been a comedy. Otherwise, I don't really understand why a film starring such big names turned out to be so mediocre. It’s watchable, but it doesn’t stand out in anything. I prefer Sheridan as a director in the snow, and Angelina... well, nowhere really. (14/05/2021)

The veiled answer to the question of who set Democratic California on fire under Trump? A classic thriller theme of good guys on the run from hired killers, promisingly set in a forest imperiled by a wildfire. The bad guys are solid and well cast, but Angelina doesn’t fit here at all. A chick like that wouldn’t do this work, especially not in America. And the whole movie gradually slides into such naïveté, as well as silly clichés and pathos. And that’s a shame. (13/12/2021)

So I guess I know how non-Stephen King readers feel when they watch an adaptation of one of his books, from which not much made it to film, and try to get their bearings on the plot and figure out what's so interesting about the book. This will probably be the same case, because already the synopsis of Those Who Wish Me Dead is almost a completely different story. But who cares if the film is good – and Taylor Sheridan can make good films. This time, however... I didn’t work. The story is strange, the heroes and the villains are gifted with an almost supernatural luck that has nothing to do with reality, the whole thing doesn’t make much sense and when it finishes, not much is left in your head. It’s a real shame, because the cast is great, it looks good, it sounds good, etc. Maybe next time. (05/03/2022)

Can someone please explain to me what happened to those luxurious scripts from Taylor Sheridan? When I think of his genre masterpieces like Wind River or Sicario, it almost makes me want to cry, seeing what he's been delivering in the past year. He hasn't just fallen into B-movie territory; this is a significant drop from the top. I was genuinely looking forward to the film, not expecting a revolutionary experience, but still. Plus, there was the return of Angelina Jolie to an action role. But the result was disappointing. It was definitely a good move to sketch out interesting antagonists who are always a few steps ahead of everyone, but the problem was the accumulation of sloppy mistakes and blunders over time that made me shake my head in disbelief. The only scene that stayed with me was the one involving the car ambush on the road; it was brilliantly shot and built up. Overall, the camera work and music were among the few positive aspects. The action didn’t impress me; some scenes were outright laughable (like the field where lightning was striking one after another? What was that about?) and the supposed happy ending didn’t add much. If I were you, I’d avoid the film. 4/10 (29/06/2021)

Taylor Sheridan has set the bar very high with his films, so complaining that this isn't another Wind River seems naive to me (after all, his debut is a B-horror film called Vile), and although this film has a few flaws, it is still a solid, intense, and atmospheric thriller with a touch of the 90s that I enjoyed. The story takes place in the beautiful Montana wilderness with the even more beautiful Angelina Jolie, who at 45 still unbelievable. She is well supported by Punisher and a brother duo of killers (Little Finger and Nux). The action is not much in the end, but when it happens, it's quite intense, the weapons sound great, and the R-rating is used to its full potential. Personally, I would have loved to see twenty hitmen running in that burning forest and watch Angelina and Punisher eliminate them using traps, but I guess that's asking for too much. Anyway, the atmosphere is great, there's plenty of tension, the visuals and actors are fantastic, and the pace holds up decently, so I don't have many reasons to criticize it. However, those who can't enjoy the film because of occasional illogical behavior or a few cliched deviations are accidentally watching a different genre. 7/10. (14/05/2021)