Taylor Sheridan's Those Who Wish Me Dead Is His Most Underseen Neo-Western
Those Who Wish Me Dead is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Koryta, and follows a "smokejumper" played by Angelina Jolie. Jolie's Hannah encounters a young boy being chased by two relentless assassins (played by Nic Hoult and Aiden Gillen), and must protect him while they outrun a blazing inferno.
Those Who Wish Me Dead is one part "Die Hard on an X" movie, and one part Neo-Western. It might be set in modern day, but the old-fashioned themes, stripped-down story, and Sheridan's use of the vast Montana wilderness give it major Western energy.
The film feels both retro and modern, with Sheridan's ear for great dialogue and flair for staging action correct and present. Those Who Wish Me Dead features some of his best setpieces too, including the fight between Jolie and Hoult's characters as a raging fire threatens to overtake them.
Sheridan also assembled a great cast, with Gillen and Hoult forming a creepy duo as the emotionless killers. Jon Bernthal and Medina Senghore steal the show as a deputy sheriff and his pregnant wife, who get dragged into the conflict.
Those Who Wish Me Dead Didn't Stand A Chance At The Box Office
Given Sheridan's status, it's kind of shocking how much Those Who Wish Me Dead has fallen into a memory hole. This largely comes down to bad timing, as it was released during the pandemic in May 2021, at a time when audiences were still largely avoiding theaters.
It didn't help that Warner Bros barely marketed the R-rated thriller, and that it released on HBO Max on the same date it hit theaters. Those Who Wish Me Dead ended up grossing over $23 million, which just about covered its rumored $20 million production budget (via Box Office Mojo). It didn't create much buzz during its streaming release either.
Reviews were slightly mixed too, and it came out during a particularly crowded period, where films like Mortal Kombat 2021 arrived the week before it. In short, Those Who Wish Me Dead couldn't have landed at a worse time to find an audience.
Those Who Wish Me Dead Deserves To Be Rediscovered
With the success of Yellowstone, 1883, Lioness and many more, Sheridan has been real busy juggling the television side of his career. Whereas Wind River appears to get more popular with each passing year, Those Who Wish Me Dead only becomes more forgotten. This is a shame, since it's such a solid genre outing.
It's a lean, gritty and well-acted actioner directed with an assured hand. It deserved a better fate in 2021, but it could easily get reclaimed. Being released on a streamer at the right moment could see Those Who Wish Me Dead get a new wave of love, especially by those who dig Sheridan's TV work.
Source: Box Office Mojo
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Release Date
May 14, 2021
Director
Taylor Sheridan
Writers
Michael Koryta, Charles Leavitt, Taylor Sheridan
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Birthdate
May 21, 1970
Birthplace
Cranfills Gap, Texas, USA
Notable Projects
Sicario, Wind River, Hell or High Water
Credit: MovieStillsDB
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English (US) ·