I’m sure there’s a reason this movie isn’t called Forest Fire; probably some trademark/copyright issue. Too bad, because what’s a better pitch that “Forest Fire: Angelina Jolie goes out of hitmen’s frying pans into the fire, literally.” Taylor Sheridan briskly gets us in, sets up the story, and gets us out in a brisk 90 minutes. No frills action movies that features Angelina Jolie parachuting to fight forest fires? Sounds good to me.
When we meet Jolie’s character Hannah, she’s on the mend from a traumatic smokejumping situation she was just in that went badly. On the other side of the country Owen Casserly (Jake Weber) sees ominous news about a colleague on a big project he’s involved in, so he runs from home with his son, Connor (Finn Little). The two hightail it to Hannah’s part of the US to meet up with a law enforcement relative (Jon Bernthal). Owen’s instincts turn out to be right, as 2 political assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult) are fast on Owen’s trail to “eliminate the problem.”
Taylor Sheridan, the director, is the heir to the great Western Directors of the past, using the imposing, beautiful grandeur of nature to help add a little Ansel Adams to his story. Those beautiful natural vistas help not only establish the setting, but also elevate the stakes so the 90 minute screenplay doesn’t have to with overexplanation. Sheridan smartly keeps the character list small, and makes the story pretty simple and straightforward, so all he has to do is wow us with some decent action sequences. And wow he does: Sheridan lulls everyone into a simmering tension then unleashes 3-4 quick sequences of terror that made my eyes pop and my hands go to cover my face. Smartly, each harrowing sequence is scary for different reasons, and Sheridan uses all the horror both man and nature have to scare the hell out of Angelina Jolie and Finn Little as they traverse the forest to get into town.
In a movie you think might be a delivery service for macho men to be macho, it’s the two women that stand tallest. Angelina Jolie proves why she is a movie star; she gives the story a steely engaging action movie hero to ground the story. Jolie in a short amount of time creates a relatively complex character that can be jaded, badass, nurturing, terrified, and snarky depending on what the scene needs. Jolie takes the bumpiness of the dialogue and smooths it out as only the greats can do. The revelation is Medina Senghore, the relative unknown in the cast. Channeling her inner Marge Gunderson, Senghore is involved in the best action sequence in the movie, with a payoff you will not see coming but is oh so rewarding when it happens. Jon Bernthal, Jake Weber, Aidan Gillen, Nicholas Hoult, and Finn Little do solid work in underwritten roles playing second fiddle to the power of women and forest fires.
Those Who Wish Me Dead is another win for Taylor Sheridan. Yes it’s a fun movie and all, but this win is much bigger. Sheridan is proving that the previously dormant Western genre still has a host of amazing stories that can be told. Personally, I’m excited to see how Sheridan inspires others to tell stories about the new American frontier, especially if we can keep bringing Angelina Jolie back to help out every now and again.