Those Who Wish Me Dead has been one of my most anticipated films for the past two years, so I had big expectations for it, especially since it comes from Taylor Sheridan. He has given us such films like Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River, unfortunately, while it’s not a terrible film, Those Who Wish Me Dead is not as great as it should’ve been. Given Sheridan’s filmography, I have certain expectations for his projects that this film failed to meet. 

Based on a novel by Michael Kory, who co-wrote the script with Sheridan, this is a female-driven neo-western set against a wildfire in the Montana wilderness. A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by twin assassins and meets a survival expert tasked with protecting him along with a forest fire threatening to consume them.

While the script is better than Sheridan’s other 2021 screenplay, Without Remorse, it’s not on the same level as his better work. It’s rather funny that this year provided his two weakest scripts which also happen to be the only ones he has co-writers on. It’s clear to me; he is better off working alone as it seems to me his co-writers bring qualities to the film that get the project down. Those Who Wish Me Dead marks his second time behind the camera after his bleak but underrated directorial debut, Wind River, and I have to say his direction improved in this film. The action sequences were well directed and very intense. They are the easy highlight of a surprisingly dull film. 

I was rooting for Angelina Jolie; it’s been a while since she’s had such a meaty part, as she’s taken a step back the past decade to direct films and be a mom. Sadly, the best thing I can say about her performance besides her doing her own stunts is that I respect her bond and chemistry with Finn Little’s Connor. The film is full of heart and emotions, and it comes from their bond. Jolie gives a strong performance, but I didn’t buy her as a firefighter for one second. I was hoping to be proven wrong regarding that aspect as I felt this way since the trailer. Sadly I wasn’t. 

Jon Bernthal has worked with Sheridan twice before, on Sicario and Wind River. In those films, he had one scene each. Thankfully, this time his role is significant. While his character doesn’t get much development, he still managed to impress and be a badass while at it. 

Medina Senghore, who plays his pregnant wife, was excellent in a small but crucial part. Despite her being pregnant, I don’t think she is a damsel in distress, though. She knows how to handle firearms and survive in crazy, intense situations. I loved her character and performance. 

Lastly, in the positives, the cinematography was fantastic and did a great job of showing the beautiful Montana wilderness.

Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen have shown they are talented actors in projects such as the X-Men franchise, Hulu’s The Great, and Game of Thrones, and while they are good in the action sequences, that’s the only positive thing about their characters. They are very one-dimensional characters that aren’t fleshed out at all. They did the best they could with the mediocre script, but there wasn’t much to them. 

Tyler Perry plays their boss, and I’ll admit I was excited about his inclusion in this film, given his performance in Gone Girl. I feel under the guidance of more talented men, he does a good job. While Sheridan is no David Fincher, I expected that he could bring something good out of him. To my disappointment, he makes a brief cameo performance in a rather pointless scene. Anybody could have played the role. Giving him the part almost seems like stunt casting just so we could say, “oh s****, it’s Tyler Perry.”

While the film has that neo-modern western vibe that all Sheridan’s films do, it ultimately lets us down by being too formulaic and not very original. The predictable nature isn’t helped by the editing, which is the weakest aspect of the film. Those Who Wish Me Dead is a film that, for the majority of its run time, is very boring. It takes a while to get going, and the flashes of brilliance, which were the action sequences, are unfortunately far and in between. This film belongs in the 90s, and had it released back then; it would have been a huge hit. 

Those Who Wish Me Dead is a forgettable effort from Sheridan that doesn’t come close to his best work. Since it’s on HBO Max, I’ll say watch it on there if you’re a fan of the people involved. It’s not worth a trip to the theaters.