THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD

US, 2021, 100 minutes, Colour.

Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen, Jon Bernthal, Medina Senghore, Jake Weber, Tyler Perry, Tory Kittles.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan.

Certainly an arresting title. And it is interesting with the opening of the film to identify the Those of the title, two respectable -looking but deadly-sadistic hitmen. And then it is interesting to identify who is the Me of the title. A 12-year-old boy.

And the tone for a thriller is set as the two assassins, allegedly working for a finance company, insinuate themselves into a mansion – which then blows up. Villains clear – motivation to be revealed. And, it is revealed very quickly, a situation where an accountant has exposed irregularities and the corporation bosses are out to eliminate him. The accountant is played by Jake Weber and his son, very effectively, by Finn Little, from Brisbane, who was the star of the remake of Storm Boy. Finn Little has to work with Angelina Jolie and, in a sense, bear the burden of the pursuit drama – and he does.

But, to make the thriller more intriguing, the main settings are in the state of Montana. Almost 70 years ago there was an action thriller called Red Skies of Montana, the mountain and forest fires of that state. And, they featured here, some very effective sequences of large, fierce and raging fires. And, we are introduced to the firefighters, especially the fire jumpers who parachute into dangerous situations. The old brigade stand around yarning with all kind of banter – focusing on Hannah, tough, hard-working, but tormented by memories and nightmares of a past episode, her misjudging the direction of the wind and the fire, some young boys dying in the flames. Hannah is played by Angelina Jolie.

The other important characters in the film are the local sheriff and his wife, pregnant wife (Jon Bernthal and Medina Senghore).

The screenplay blends the themes of the hitmen pursuing the boy, Hannah and her work and problems, the inevitable crime against the father and son and the sheriff and his wife being caught up in the action. There is ambush and machine-gunning, car crashing, the hitmen lighting a fire and its raging, Hannah and her work in a remote tower, the escape of the boy and his bonding with Hannah.

The hitmen are particularly alienating. Aidan Gillen is the ruthless older brother, no compunction whatsoever. Nicholas Hoult (once a chubby boy in About a Boy, now and gangly six foot three) looks as if he ought to have compunction – but does not. The pursuit is relentless, even involving the sheriff, a confrontation with his wife, who can be as tough as the men.

The film has been written and directed by Taylor Sheridan who has a strong reputation for action films in the rather wilder states of the union, Wind River and Hell or High Water.

It is easy to note some implausibility in the plot development and detail, but that is not the point – the point is a night out for an exciting action show, which it is.

1. The title? The assassins? The targets? Connor?
2. The ingredients of the plot: business and criminality, the assassinations, the flight of father and son, the firefighters in Montana, the sheriff and his pregnant wife? All coming together?
3. The Florida openings, the lavish homes, the explosion? Jacksonville, father and son, the drive? The contrast with Middle America and scenery? Montana, the open plains, the mountains, Continental Divide, the towns? The musical score?
4. Jack and Patrick, the others, hitmen, disguise, the house, the setup, the explosion, travelling to Jacksonville? Further intentions, the empty house? Looking at the photos, the clue for the survival camp in Montana? Their driving, their technology, information from the licenses of cars, the ambush, shooting at the father and son, the machine guns, the crashing of the car, further down the hill? The passing motorist offering to help and their shooting her? The pursuit of the boy, the sheriff’s home, threatening his pregnant wife, her turning the tables and burning Jack? The confrontation with the sheriff, shooting the older man? Getting the sheriff to help them in tracking down the boy? Going to the fire tower, with the sheriff, his going up, the shooting? The escape, Jack and the confrontation with the sheriff’s wife, her killing him? Patrick, the pursuit of Hannah and Connor, her attacking him, his being burnt?
5. Fire, Jack setting the fire as a distraction, the immediate spread, the power of the fire?
6. The background of the financial deals and mismanagement, Jack meeting Arthur at the airport, his strong presence in demands?
7. The sheriff, discussions with his boss, doing his duty, the past with Hannah, warning her, her stunt with the skydiving, at home, his pregnant wife, their becoming involved in the search? The fire, the masks, his wife surviving, his death?
8. The firefighters, the visuals of the skydiving, the graduation class, the veterans and their joking around, Hannah and her place, the stunt, reprimand from the sheriff? Her going to the tower? The memories of the past, her misjudging the wind, the three boys killed in the fire? Her being tormented, blaming herself?
9. Connor, the death of his father, his father urging him to go to the creek, leading to a town, his encountering Hannah, suspicious, with the message his father wrote for him, to find someone trustworthy? Their time together, the town, no phone because of the lightning strike, the arrival of the assassins, the shooting, Hannah and Connor, the confrontation with Patrick, his death, hiding in the creek, surviving? Connor’s future, Hannah helping?
10. Hannah, in a fire with a young boy, the memories of the past, saving him this time?
11. The rescue, the action taking place over a few days? Popular ingredients for a thriller?