Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) – Movie Review

After witnessing the murder of his father, a teenager goes on the run in the forests of Montana to escape the two assassins hired to kill him. On the run, he encounters smokejumper Hannah who tries to get him to safety from not only the killers but the raging forest fire destroying everything in its path.

I thought Those Who Wish Me Dead was pretty good. I went in without any real expectations and came away satisfied with a decent movie. The plot was generic: a kid hunted by assassins for his father knowing too much. What was different, however, was the setting. The movie took place in the forests of Montana, with the assassins hunting him in the midst of a raging forest fire (that they started, of course) and a lightning storm.

Angelina Jolie did a good job playing the protector with a regretful past trying to make up for it. I don’t think she 100% nailed the role, but did well enough to tell a compelling story. Compared to her well-rounded portfolio, this movie will probably fall lower on the list. Finn Little, who played Connor, also performed his role really well. I’m impressed with how good young actors are these days, especially with this and others like in Stranger Things. This was no exception. The film also starred John Bernthal, Aidan Gillen, Nicholas Hoult, Medina Senghore and Tyler Perry.

While this was a good movie, there were definitely some flaws. It never answered what information the dad knew that was important enough to send a hit-squad after him. Nor did it answer what would happen to the kid next. Would he live with his aunt? Would Hannah adopt him? Or would they all just move on and he would be put in the foster system?

The movie was directed by Taylor Sheridan, known for Yellowstone and Sicario. It was based on the book of the same name by Michael Koryta. 

Overall, I’d rate Those Who Wish Me Dead 3 ½ / 5 stars. It was a simple yet entertaining story; Nothing that will stand out from the crowd, but definitely worth watching, especially because it is currently free to stream on HBO Max in addition to being in theaters.