Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strong violence, language in solid wilderness thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Those Who Wish Me Dead
What's the Story?
In THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD, Hannah Faber (Angelina Jolie) is a brave, tough firefighter -- a smokejumper -- in the Montana woods. Haunted by her failure to save three kids in a deadly blaze, she's stationed in a fire lookout tower. Meanwhile, forensic accountant Owen (Jake Weber), who discovered some incriminating numbers involving a dangerous man, is on the run with his son, Connor (Finn Little). Two ruthless assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult) are on his trail. After a deadly encounter, Connor finds himself alone in the woods -- until he runs into Hannah. Can Hannah protect the boy, not only from the killers, but also from the massive wildfire they just started?
Is It Any Good?
A good deal pulpier and less sophisticated than filmmaker Taylor Sheridan's other movies, this thriller still displays a lean, taut storytelling style, despite its many moving parts and characters. Based on a novel by Michael Koryta, Those Who Wish Me Dead fits in nicely with Sheridan's other modern "Westerns" -- both as writer (Sicario, Hell or High Water) and as director (Wind River, TV's Yellowstone) -- except that it's less about rural lives and more designed as a star vehicle for Jolie.
That said, two supporting characters, a sheriff (Jon Bernthal) and his pregnant wife (Medina Senghore), add some much needed flavor to the otherwise straightforward proceedings. And the two killers might have been all-too-familiar clichés, but Gillen and Hoult give them a stripped-down, all-business approach that makes them formidable villains. Tyler Perry randomly pops up in one scene, as their criminal boss who's behind all this chaos; somehow the scene centers the action, and Perry manages to sell it. Sheridan's solid set pieces and action scenes culminate in a showdown between Jolie and Hoult in the woods, with the approaching fire creating deep shadows and an ominous orange hue. At the top of it all is Jolie, who stays sharp, finds a connection with young Little, and makes Those Who Wish Me Dead feel like solid (if traditional) Hollywood entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Those Who Wish Me Dead's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it thrilling, or shocking? How much is directed at children or women? Does that change the tone or impact of the violence?
What positive representations did you notice in the cast and characters?
Do you consider Hannah a role model? Why, or why not? How does she demonstrate courage?
Jack Blackwell keeps saying "I hate this town." What can lead to animosity between people from big cities and those from small towns? What are the pros and cons of each type of place?
Did you learn anything new about the job of smokejumper? Does it look like an interesting job to have? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 14, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : August 3, 2021
- Cast : Angelina Jolie , Nicholas Hoult , Jon Bernthal
- Director : Taylor Sheridan
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, and language throughout
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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