They Want Me Dead
Angelina Jolie is back in her action element
Hannah (Angelina Jolie) has made it her business to protect the boy Connor (Finn Little) at all costs.
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In the thriller “They Want Me Dead” Angelina Jolie effortlessly ties in with her days as an action hero. But other stars are also allowed to shine.
The name says it all in the new action thriller “They Want Me Dead” with Angelina Jolie (45). Without further ado, Taylor Sheridan’s (50, “Wind River”) film throws its main characters and thus the audience into a refreshingly entertaining game of cat and mouse. And that as early as June 3 on the Sky Ticket streaming service or in the Sky Cinema package and thus before the German cinema release.
Heroine with a death wish – that’s what it’s all about
Ever since she saw several people die cruelly in a forest fire mission, the tough fire jumper Hannah (Jolie) of a US fire station has had a latent wish to die. But her existence suddenly takes on a new meaning when one day she meets a blood-covered boy named Connor (Finn Little, 14) in the woods. The completely disturbed child has just escaped an attack by two unscrupulous hired killers (played by Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen) with a lot of luck.
Why are they targeting the boy? Connor has a piece of paper with him that contains information that can cause great harm to very powerful people. But not only Hannah is drawn into the matter. Her ex-husband, the small town sheriff Ethan (Jon Bernthal, 44), soon finds himself in a relentless struggle for survival. In contrast to his ex, he has more than ever what to live for – he and his new wife are expecting their first child together …
Like “Logan” without superpowers
A risky parachute jump, angry conflagration, an exploding house – already the first few seconds of “They Want Me Dead” get you in the mood for what will be offered in the next 95 minutes. With simple but efficient means, director Sheridan establishes the two fronts that will subsequently meet with as much tension as possible. Nevertheless, in the short exposure he manages to give his heroes enough humanity that their fate means something to you – that is not always the case with such rapid entrances.
As he did as the scriptwriter for “Hell Or High Water” and as the director of “Wind River”, Sheridan repeatedly focuses on nature itself, in which large parts of the plot take place. Then, despite all the action, “They Want Me Dead” also finds the time to work out the relationship between Jolie’s character and the child’s. The constellation of broken anti-heroine and hunted child inevitably makes you think of films like “Logan” with Hugh Jackman – without the superhero influence, of course.
Jolie has her action pants on again
There was a time when the name Angelina Jolie was inextricably linked with fast-paced, sometimes over-the-top action. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, she started as Lara Croft alias “Tomb Raider”. More hits like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, “Wanted” or “Salt” followed within about ten years before she allowed herself a break in this regard. With “They Want Me Dead” she proves that even in her mid-40s she hasn’t lost any of her girl power – on the contrary.
Thankfully, the film doesn’t degenerate into an exaggerated one-woman show. Both Bernthal and Medina Senghore, who embodies his pregnant wife, can prove themselves nerve-wracking. But the secret star of the film is a completely different one: young actor Finn Little. He is recommended for a longer Hollywood career and does his job consistently well as a traumatized child.
Killer with obstacles
Which cannot always be said of the sometimes strange approaches of the hit men. Aidan Gillen (53) fervently does what he does best, as in his part as little finger from “Game of Thrones” – absolutely hateful. A few clumsy decisions by the antagonists are then all too clear to keep the plot alive. Despite this small flaw, “They Want Me Dead” offers thriller fare that is well worth seeing.
Speaking of which: If you got the suspense taste through “They Want Me Dead”, you might find more supplies on the spot. Since May 22nd there is a new part of the series on Sky Ticket with “Wrong Turn – The Foundation”. Here, however, the focus is clearly on the horror side. From June 25th, the streaming service will also be aiming high – thanks to the airplane thriller “Horizon Line”.