Those Who Wish Me Dead review: Angelina Jolie outclasses a profoundly silly film
Her level of nuance seems out of place for a film where she’s getting chased by pyromaniac assassins
Dir: Taylor Sheridan. Starring: Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen, Jake Weber, Medina Senghore, Jon Bernthal. Cert 15, 100 mins
Angelina Jolie’s bare-knuckled performance in Those Who Wish Me Dead easily outclasses the film that contains it. The survival drama, in which she plays a smokejumper attempting to curb the spread of forest fires, has been advertised as a comeback of sorts. That’s not quite true – Jolie’s spent the last decade directing and working on more family-oriented fare, such as Maleficent and last year’s The One and Only Ivan – but here, she returns in all her film star regalia.
Jolie has the languid but powerful repose of a lion overseeing its pride. She is commanding without ever coming off as emotionless. It’s just a shame that Those Who Wish Me Dead – shot with absolute solemnity but profoundly silly at its core – is the one to welcome her back. It should have been the heavily delayed and undoubtedly more impressive Eternals, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies