Wrath of Man

Jason Statham stars in Wrath of Man (a loose adaptation of French film Le Convoyeur), the latest film from Guy Ritchie, and it is exactly what viewers would expect from a Guy Ritchie movie starring Jason Statham. It’s a slick, testosterone-fuelled action flick full of fast-talking characters with names like Sticky John, Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave. The film is pure masculine bravado, peppered with corny one-liners that punctuate its selection of taut action set pieces. The result is an occasionally entertaining though ultimately mindless action outing that’s needlessly drawn-out in places.

The plot sees the gruff and mysterious H (Statham) take a job with a cash truck company. His no-nonsense attitude alongside his proficiency with a gun soon wins him the respect of his peers when he successfully thwarts a robbery attempt. However, H has an ulterior motive for taking the job, as well as a past filed with secrets. From here, the narrative takes a step back to recount various other threads that all eventually lead to the climax. This is Wrath of Man’s strongest component: Ritchie, alongside co-writers Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, weave an intricate plot that gradually slots into place with satisfying clicks. While viewers won’t be blown away by the revelations and twists uncovered along the way, the narrative structure is nevertheless compelling enough to keep audiences sticking around to see what comes next.

Ritchie likewise handles the action sequences with practised expertise: they’re taut and punchy spectacles that let Statham do what he does best. However, the filmmaker has a habit of letting these scenes drag on for far too long. This is a particular problem in the final act where the urgency of the climax fizzles out until the flick eventually ends on an anti-climactic note. However, at this point most will likely be glad that it’s finally over. 

Andrew Murray

Wrath of Man is released on Amazon Prime Video on 10^th December 2021.

Watch the trailer for Wrath of Man here: