A Working Man
Action
Review: ‘A Working Man’ is a Gritty, Hands-On Action-Thriller that Knows How to Get the Job Done
March 26, 2025Ben MK
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One of the most recognizable names in modern-day action cinema, Jason Statham understands his niche and knows how to make the most of it. Whether it's as Lee Christmas in The Expendables franchise, Deckard Shaw in The Fast Saga, or Jonas Taylor in The Meg series, Statham has spent the past two-and-a-half decades leveraging his own brand of stoic sarcasm to star in everything from major blockbusters to one-off crowd-pleasers. And with A Working Man, Statham is once again operating within his wheelhouse, as he re-teams with The Beekeeper director David Ayer for the story of one man and his quest to stop a young woman from becoming the latest victim of human trafficking. Set in present-day Chicago, the movie follows Levon Cade, a former British solider turned construction worker who has been trying his best to live a normal life, despite his personal circumstances. The father of an impressionable young daughter named Meredith (Isla Gie), Levon's wife died from suicide after a long bout of depression, and ever since then, his life has been a non-stop series of trials and tribulations. Embroiled in a custody battle with his unforgiving father-in-law, dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and struggling to make ends meet, Levon has vowed never to return to a life of violence. However, when his boss Joe's (Michael Peña) 19-year-old daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), is kidnapped by a brother-sister duo of human traffickers named Viper (Emmett J. Scanlan) and Artemis (Eve Mauro), Levon finds that he has no other choice but to put his special skill set to good use. Enlisting the support of his friend and fellow veteran, Gunny (David Harbour), and calling in a few favors from some other ex-soldiers, Levon sets out on a mission to find Jenny before it's too late. But when he uncovers the involvement of the deadly Russian mafia, will Levon start to regret his decision? Incurring the wrath of a ruthless Russian gangster named Yuri (Merab Ninidze), who paints a giant target on Levon's back after Levon murders his brother, Wolo (Jason Flemyng), and adult sons, Danya (Greg Kolpalchi) and Vanko (Piotr Witkowski), Levon must apply all the tactical and military training in his arsenal to outwit and out-kill the onslaught of adversaries. But when Yuri takes his offensive against Levon to the next level by threatening his family, this former serviceman must do everything in his power to bring this all-out war to a speedy close. Finding his time quickly running out and a small army of hired goons and lowlife criminals gunning for him at every turn, Levon sets into motion a plan to attack Dimi (Maximilian Osinski), the Russian gangster at the center of this human trafficking scheme, where it hurts. But when even the local cops can't be trusted, will Levon succeed in defeating these vicious criminals and rescuing Jenny from her captors? Based on bestselling author Chuck Dixon's 2014 novel, Levon's Trade: A Vigilante Justice Thriller, the resulting action-packed mash-up of Taken and John Wick delivers exactly what audiences have come to expect from Statham's big-screen exploits, unleashing enough hand-to-hand combat and bullet-riddled gunplay to keep genre fans entertained for the entirety of the film's two-hour running time. What's most refreshing about A Working Man, though, is how the screenplay by Ayer and none other than Sylvester Stallone doesn't rely completely on genre clichés and tropes, especially when it comes to its characterization of Jenny, who's portrayed as not just another damsel in distress, but rather as a tenacious woman who’s also capable of defending herself. It all adds up to another kick-ass hit for Statham, who's been on somewhat of a tear lately, serving up movie after guilty-pleasure movie where he battles everything from terrorists and cyber scammers to prehistoric fish. More importantly, however, A Working Man brings moviegoers one step closer to having a fully realized cinematic universe where Jason Statham works blue-collar jobs and fights bad guys on the side. And while only time will tell if Statham returns in another role where he plays an Everyman character with a very specific set of skills, one thing's for certain — this is one action-thriller that knows how to get the job done. A Working Man releases March 28th, 2025 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong violence, language throughout, and drug content. Its runtime is 1 hr. 56 min. |
