Wrath Of Man

By Ephraim Belnap

Directed by: Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Aladdin 2018)

Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hartnett, Scott Eastwood

    Wrath of Man is a dark, soulless look into obligation. Not soulless in the sense that it has no heart, but in the sense that it has no joy. Every man is propelled by obligation and every man pays a price for it. And when it ends you’re left with a sense of, if not satisfaction, then at least closure. 

     The premise is seemingly simple; stoic nobody Patrick Hill (or “H” for short) applies to be a security guard for LA money trucks. Seemingly normal, he suddenly displays killer instinct in an attempted robbery, and it’s revealed that he signed up to find his son’s killer, a cash truck robber whose face he’ll recognize. But after that introduction the plot thickens, and each layer reveals a new story to sympathize for. 

     The film reads like a moral play. Each character has nuance, and perspective flips are common. The cast is filled out with recognizable types like the jovial Bullet (Holt McCallany) and the weaseling Jan (Scott Eastwood). Director Guy Ritchie’s trademarks - non-chronological storytelling, tough-guy banter, funny nicknames - are all on display, but the film has a refreshing sense of style that makes it stand out. The film is split into four named acts, and the opening credits are framed in the imagery of Renaissance demons. Instead of the violence spurts of revenge flicks, the action is mostly offscreen, but constantly close. All throughout, there’s a palpable sense of dread, as if everyone knows this won’t end well. While revenge flicks usually bend reality to make the hero right, it’s clear H is a terror to the people who know him. The camera stays running for longer than you’d expect as if to drive home this reality. And the LA skyline looms large in frame, as if a story this dark could only happen there. Indeed, the web of lies and double-crosses calls to mind Chinatown or Heat or other LA capers. 

     That said, the film isn’t perfect. Once the intricacy of the plot is laid out, the drawbacks start standing out. The premise is gripping, but the message it amounts to feels one-note. The second half has some serious social commentary on display, but feels a rewrite short of creating true feeling. The finale juggles a number of perspectives, but fails to leverage its conclusions for real emoting. Performances are all fine - with H’s character evoking sympathy and fear in equal measure - but Scott Eastwood’s key character falls flat in his direction; an unrepentant tool, but an insignificant presence compared to H. All this amounts to an ending that brings the plot full circle, but leaves the audience simply sated. Like the characters themselves, the audience receives satisfaction but no great happiness. But perhaps that is the point in the end.

     Regardless of its leaps in quality, Wrath of Man is a lean, frightening thinker of a revenge flick with decent performances and a haunting atmosphere. It ranks as one of the director’s better films. 3.5 out of 5.