'Those who wish my death': a great thriller with the stamp of Taylor Sheridan and a convincing cast led by Angelina Jolie
Taylor Sheridan began his career in Hollywood as an actor, especially in television series, where his most prominent role was in 'Sons of Anarchy', but his career never quite took off. When he decided to try his luck as a scriptwriter, he had to have some patience until one of his scripts reached the big screen, but patience was rewarded, since in 2015 we received 'Sicario' and just a year later it was the turn of 'ComancherÃa' .
With those two titles it was already very clear that Sheridan was someone to be followed closely, which he confirmed with 'Wind River', his second feature film as director - in 2011 he had already signed 'Vile' from a script alien-. Now the time has come to see the third, since this Friday, May 7, 'Those who wish my death', a wonderful thriller headed by Angelina Jolie, opens in Spain.
Sheridan's hand shows
One of the things that most caught my attention about 'Wind River' was the way Sheridan approached the story, opting for a calm approach instead of taking the tension that was breathed in the environment at all times to the extreme. There is also something of that in 'Those who wish my death', although it is true that here it is more noticeable that it is a Hollywood production without that supposing a betrayal in the style of Sheridan.
For now, Sheridan is not the only author of the script of 'Those who wish my death', because behind it we also have Charles Leavitt and Michael Koryta. The latter is also the writer of the original novel that adapts the film, so the question remains as to how far Sheridan was able to fully bring the material to his ground, although the important thing is that his hand is noticeable.
I am very clear that there will be those who will get bored with 'Those who wish my death', since it is not a thriller that relies on adrenaline overdose. Instead, a sense of calm unease prevails at all times, both in those struggling to survive and in those who pose a threat to their lives.
With this I do not mean that he takes things slowly, thus annihilating any type of emotion, but it is surprising that in a film with such tight footage - it barely reaches 90 minutes - a much more intense tone is not chosen. Here both situations and characters are allowed to breathe, but without ever losing sight of the danger that surrounds them.
In fact, in the purely plot, the story of 'Those who wish my death' could perfectly have been the basis for the episode of a television series in which the firefighter played by Jolie faces a new threat. This is how monotonous it could have been, but the key lies in everything Sheridan manages to convey from a not particularly stimulating base.
The importance of the human factor
On the one hand, the characters in 'Those who wish for my death' have a human element that is not very common in Hollywood thrillers, where everything tends so much to the routine that we don't care what their characters are. That does not happen here, partly because of the good work of its inspired cast, but also because from the script you can see the concern that one can see people on the screen and not mere tools to tell a story.
In this way, the dramatic element is much more credible, allowing even moments of little respite - that conversation between Jolie and the young Finn Little about their traumas could have been very pocha and ends up even having clear comic overtones - without them therefore the film suffers.
In addition, the rhythm is in line with all that. Obviously, everything accelerates in the final section -where visually Sheridan takes a step forward for the sake of the show but without feeling forced at all-, but before there is a certain pause that may despair some viewers, but when it comes down to it it is what gives 'Those who wish my death' a different energy that connects it with his previous feature film.
It is true that 'Those who wish my death' is a more Hollywood-style thriller than 'Wind River', but it was well known who was being signed by trusting Sheridan and it shows on screen. If you also have a star involved for the occasion as a very convincing Jolie both when she is a bit too much in the first minutes of it and when a trauma affects her past or when she has to act as an unexpected heroine.
However, perhaps the biggest surprise of her cast is how successful young Little is in her role. The movie requires something very concrete from his performance and he embroiders it, also showing great chemistry with Jolie.
Beyond that, the good game that Sheridan brings to the scenes in which the film was shot is appreciated, since he turns that forest into almost another character in the role, something that he had already achieved at the time with the snow-capped mountains. of Wyoming in 'Wind River'. Here they work at the same time as a large open space with multiple possibilities but also with a space that can be much more oppressive than it seems at first glance.
In short
'Those who wish my death' is a very good thriller that knows how to fully squeeze the story it tells us, and for this it uses well-crafted and better-played characters. Of course, do not expect a constant waste of emotion in visual and narrative terms, but in return it offers a very stimulating vision of what is still a constant life and death situation.
