Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man hit theaters last Friday and the reviews are in. Rolling Stone called the film “the action-heist-revenge flick you want right now.”
The film features Guy Ritchie’s long-time collaborator Jason Statham as the main character, Patrick “H” Hill. According to CinemaBlend, the pair worked together early on in their careers, with projects such as Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. They last collaborated on the 2005 film Revolver.
Rolling Stone’s K. Austin Collins said that Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham have “got the compatible swagger that makes the movie worth watching.” K Austin Collins describes Jason Statham’s character as a “divorcee with a dark past.” His sought-after revenge carries the two-hour thriller.
The movie also stars Scott Eastwood, Josh Hartnett, Niamh Algar, Holt McCallany, and Jeffrey Donovan. Musical artist Post Malone plays a robber in the film, making this his third acting gig after Spenser Confidential (2020) and his voice role in Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).
Written by Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, and Marn Davis, the film serves as an adaptation of the 2004 French film Le Convoyeaur (Cash Truck) by Nicolas Boukhrief, as reported by The Wrap.
Critics sang the Hollywood film’s praises
Rolling Stone’s K. Austin Collins applauded the fusion of Jason Statham’s acting with Guy Ritchie’s directing style. K. Austin Collins wrote, “Combine the two and you get swift, muscular and— perhaps best of all— coherent action.”
Peter Debruge of Variety praised the sights and sounds of the film. He wrote:
“The production adapts an elegant, almost monochromatic color palette, while composer Christopher Benstead’s undeniably Zimmer-esque double-bassy score steadily saws away at our nerves, keeping audiences just this side of a heart attack for the better part of two hours.”
Peter Debruge encourages readers to see Wrath of Man in movie theaters if possible (and we agree!).
Criticisms of the new movie release
Like all movies, not everyone was a fan.
The Wrap’s Alonso Duralde called Wrath of Man “violent fun with a slow-burn plot,” but pointed out that the film lacks an interesting female character. Duralde concluded:
“If you watch Guy Ritchie movies for the taut crime sequences and the macho bluster, you’ll get what you came for out of ‘Wrath of Man,’ but the tepid inclusion of women makes this a B+ effort compared to his sharper, smarter movies.”
Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri was highly critical of Wrath of Man, calling the film “abysmal.” Ebiri specifically scrutinized the dialogue, writing that the film “has an impressive cast, but the actors seem adrift with the hapless script.”
Audience reactions to Wrath of Man
With increasing vaccination rates signaling the end of the pandemic, more and more people are watching movies in theaters every day. Here are what some of these movie theater-goers thought of Wrath of Man:
South African television personality Boity Thulo said that she enjoyed the film and wished the ending left room for a sequel.
Wrath of Man is so damn good! ????????? Would have been great to have a cliff hanger that leads to a sequel! ? But fantastic nonetheless.
— 4436 OUT NOW (@Boity) May 7, 2021
Movie critic Patrick Bromley placed Wrath of Man in his top 3 Guy Ritchie films.
WRATH OF MAN is top 3 Guy Ritchie. Maybe his best. I only sometimes like his movies but this is the real deal. pic.twitter.com/Ve6i4i7kvt
— Patrick Bromley (@patrickbromley) May 7, 2021
TV and film podcaster Nicola Austin shared that she was compelled and impressed while watching the film.
Was pleasantly surprised by Guy Ritchie’s #WrathofMan, a stylishly dark thriller featuring a revenge fuelled Jason Statham. While it doesn’t break new ground within the genre, it’s non-linear narrative structure & impressively constructed long-takes make for a compelling watch. pic.twitter.com/KNUIMxAIXV
— Nicola Austin (@nicola_aus) May 6, 2021
One film lover said that Wrath of Man’s score might be the best movie score of the year.
Holy shit @WrathFilm was absolutely crazy! Dark, action packed, and the score is probably going to be the best of the year! Everyone this is a must see, you will not be disappointed! #WrathOfMan pic.twitter.com/pHuSW7j8Sn
— Ryan Howard (@RyanHoward50) May 9, 2021
This Twitter user crowned the film as their favorite of the year and said it kept them on the edge of their seat.
#WrathOfMan is freaking AWESOME! An action pack thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire film. Jason Statham is in prime form and Guy Ritchie is proving to be one of my favorite directors, if not my favorite! Favorite film of 2021 so far! LOVED IT pic.twitter.com/w1vGu9TNig
— Film Geeks (@FilmGeeks1) May 8, 2021
Steven Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief of entertainment website Collider, said he recommends the suspenseful film.
thought @realguyritchie‘s #WrathOfMan was excellent and kept me guessing. Absolutely recommended. https://t.co/9VYe6i66nH
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) May 6, 2021
Of course, don’t take our word for it! Head to the movie theater and see for yourself if Wrath of Man is worth the hype. If revenge thrillers aren’t your thing, take a look at what other new movie releases have hit box offices.
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