Angelina Jolie has done her fair share of films over the years and, as a result, she’s played a variety of roles. From a globe-trotting archaeologist to a mythical Disney witch, she’s pretty much done it all. However, it looks like her newest movie, Those Who Wish Me Dead, is a more grounded kind of action film to play with, as the newly arrived first trailer teases her battling with fire and assassins. Needless to say, Jolie is absolutely back in action!
Those Who Wish Me Dead is directed and co-written by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, who adapted the screenplay from Michael Koryta's novel of the same name. The film sees Angelina Jolie play Hannah Faber, a fire warden and wilderness survival expert assigned to a lookout tower in Montana. Faber is still reeling from the loss of three lives she failed to save in a fire. But her life becomes even more complicated when she crosses paths with a young boy being pursued by assassins.
While we’ve seen Angelina Jolie kick butt on screen for years now, this film puts her in a pretty interesting setting. Those Who Wish Me Dead puts her in the Montana wilderness, which will really allow her to utilize nature in the action sequences in unique ways. As we’ve seen from films like Last Blood, forests can make situations much more unpredictable, upping the suspense for viewers.
The action doesn’t seem to be the only thing driving this particular story, though. The trailer alone makes it clear that the bond between Jolie’s Hannah Faber and this young boy will be the heart of the film. The veteran smoke jumper will no doubt become attached to the young man, but whether or not she manages to save him and earn the redemption she’s been looking for is still anyone’s guess.
In addition to Angelina Jolie’s star power and some promising action sequences, Those Who Wish Me Dead also boasts an impressive supporting cast. The film includes notable names like Jon Bernthal (Ford v. Ferrari and Marvel’s The Punisher), Nicholas Hoult (X-Men and Mad Mad: Fury Road) and actor and director Tyler Perry.
Taylor Sheridan has crafted some impressive films in the past, having directed the critically acclaimed Wind River and written both Sicario and Hell or High Water. As a director Sheridan manages to beautifully and accurately portray the backdrops for his stories, but he also manages to add a firm sense of realism to his stories, which them very visceral for viewers.
The trailer looks incredibly impressive, and Angelina Jolie appears to be at the top of her game. Taylor Sheridan seems to be giving her some cool, new things to do, and it’ll be interesting to see how the intense story plays out when Those Who Wish Me Dead arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on May 14th.
