Jason Statham plays an armored truck driver bent on revenge in the latest from director Guy Ritchie
Jason Statham is out for revenge in “Wrath of Man,” a cold, dark, steely action thriller that’s all business, no funny stuff.
Guy Ritchie, reteaming with Statham for the first time since 2005’s “Revolver,” directs “Wrath of Man” with brutal efficiency. This is hard-boiled, brooding material; best to clear a path because it’s not slowing down or stopping for anyone.
Statham plays Patrick Hill, better known as “H,” because everyone in “Wrath of Man” gets nicknames that make them sound like members of some ultra-macho tribe. “Mindhunter’s” Holt McCallany is Bullet, a back-from-the-dead Josh Hartnett (seriously, where’s he been?) is Boy Sweat Dave and so on. If a movie’s cool factor can be judged by its character names, this one’s Miles Davis.
H takes a job at an armored car service in L.A. that moves $15 million in cash a day. When a job goes sideways, H turns out to be a lethal 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing machine — good if he’s on your side, not so good if he’s coming after you. His reasons for joining the team are revealed in a flashback that shows his son was a victim in an earlier heist, and he’s bent on payback.
Ritchie regular Christopher Benstead scores “Wrath of Man” with a low, ominous soundtrack that heightens the already thick tension. Ritchie, who jumbles the time structure to keep things interesting, isn’t out for flash here. This is tough talking, pitch black material with bursts of sadistic violence. High-risk heists, double crosses, men operating at a gut level: “Wrath of Man” isn’t here to play catch. In the end, there isn’t a whole lot to it. But it finds its way from Point A to Point B with businesslike precision.
‘Wrath of Man’
GRADE: B
Rated R: for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, and some 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual references
Running time: 118 minutes
In theaters