Jason Statham's film career is like clockwork at this point. Each year, he’ll star in an action blockbuster where he goes around murdering a bunch of dudes who wronged him or someone he loves. The main difference between all these films is Statham’s occupation, with his last film being called The Beekeeper and now, A Working Man. You know what to expect when you sit down to watch one of these films, but has director David Ayer managed to give us something a little more than mindless revenge murder?
A Working Man follows a similar formula to the rest of Statham’s filmography. Levon Cade (Statham) is a former Royal Marine Commando who has left that life behind to work on a construction site. He’s employed by Joe Garcia (Michael Pena) and his wife Carla (Noemi Gonzalez), the owners of the company. Cade is also trying his best to be a good father to his daughter, Merry (much to his father-in-law’s dismay). Things are starting to look up, until human traffickers kidnap Joe and Carla’s daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas). Levon will now have to dust off his murder skills to save Jenny and bring her home.
This sounds like your standard Statham affair, and that’s what I thought when I saw the trailer for this film. But what surprised me was that this story has a heart. Like, an actual emotional through-line to add meaningful context to the excessive action. The relationship between Cade and the Garcia family is pretty good, and the parallels between Jenny and his own daughter add extra layers to Cade’s story. Don’t get me wrong, the overall story is still very much par for the course for Statham, but by having an actual heart, it rises above his previous works.
Jason Statham knows how to play one type of character, but damn does he do it well. Levon Cade is no different. The gruff military veteran with a heart of gold may have gotten stale if just any actor played them, but there’s just something about Jason Statham that keeps me engaged every time. Maybe it’s the British accent (it's mostly the accent), but I’m always entertained by him.
Cade is probably one of his better stints as this archetype, thanks to the aforementioned heart this film has. His relationship with his daughter, while initially thought to be a throwaway piece of info, builds a solid foundation for his character that is refined throughout the film. I ended up caring about what would happen to Cade and his daughter, and was worried that his murder crusade might impact their relationship. Does it impact the relationship? No, they don’t go that deep, but the fact that I thought it could’ve is more than I can say for other Statham films.
The side characters were also enjoyable to watch, if not slightly underdeveloped. Michael Pena as Joe Garcia was a bit of an odd choice, and I couldn’t really take him seriously in his serious moments (that could be because I’m so used to him in comedic roles), but he was good enough. Arianna Rivas as Jenny surprised me with how much I enjoyed her character. Although she was kidnapped, she didn’t feel like the standard damsel in distress and actually had a pretty fun personality. Speaking of fun personalities, David Harbour as Gunny Lefferty, Cade’s blind army buddy, makes the most of his limited screentime and is my favourite of the side characters.
Where the film falters is in the villains, because they are paper-thin. The main villains are the Russian mob, human traffickers, and a drug lord, and they all have no development. They exist to get the plot moving and to give Statham guys to kill. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s a bit disappointing that the villains were so bland, but I shouldn’t have expected anything more from this type of film; they’re just fodder at the end of the day.
One thing you’re sure to get in any Jason Statham film is a lot of high-quality action, and this film has that in spades. The film takes a while before the bodies start dropping, but when they do, it’s satisfying as balls. Each blow looks and sounds visceral, and the overall choreography is really good. David Ayer knows how to direct an action sequence, and he has crafted several here that I’d say are among his best. There’s one in particular towards the end of the film that was so fast and well shot that it might be one of my favourite Statham action scenes I’ve seen. It also helps that there aren’t many unnecessary cuts during action scenes. Ayer knows when to cut and when to leave the camera on the action, keeping you invested in the fight without getting disoriented (unlike a certain Disney+ show). There are also some smaller-scale fights that were really enjoyable, and I hope they become more prevalent in Statham’s repertoire going forward.
A Working Man may be one of Statham’s best films in recent years. The story is the standard Statham affair, but the surprising emotional beats were welcome. Levon Cade is among Statham’s better performances, and the rest of the cast are pretty good (besides the one-dimensional villains). Throw in some excellent fight scenes, and you have an entertaining action film that is a fun time. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but if you’re looking for a good time and a whole lotta action, A Working Man is right up your alley.
Have you seen A Working Man? What did you think? What is your favourite Statham film? Let us know in the comments where we can discuss what job Statham’s character will have next.
