Those Who Wish Me Dead

Considering the setting in the fire-prone Montana wilderness, Those Who Wish Me Dead struggles to generate any heat.

This muddled combination of rural survival story with cat-and-mouse revenge thriller from director Taylor Sheridan (Wind River) is well crafted yet rarely achieves the intended level of tension and urgency.

The story begins in Florida, where a financial conspiracy leads to the death of a district attorney at the hands of two bounty hunters (Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult). Fearing he might be next, whistle-blowing forensic accountant Owen (Jake Weber) takes his preteen son, Connor (Finn Little), and heads cross country to seek refuge in the Rockies.

With their pursuers right behind them, father and son wind up in the same mountain range where Hannah (Angelina Jolie) works on a crew of smoke jumpers while trying to avoid friction with her ex-boyfriend (Jon Bernthal), who works for the local sheriff.

Hannah is working a solitary shift in a watchtower during a thunderstorm when a tragedy creates an impromptu partnership between Connor and Hannah. They must combine their resourcefulness to avoid dangerous fires, elude the killers, and expose the corruption they’re trying to cover up.

Jolie balances strength and vulnerability in her performance, as a character navigating a troubled past and an uncertain future, then faced with a sudden chance at redemption. Australian actor Little (Storm Boy) garners sympathy as the resilient youngster.

In addition to capturing the lush beauty of the wooded landscapes, Sheridan knows how a massive wildfire can create a picturesque visual backdrop, as indicated by the final showdown bathed in ashes and an amber glow.

However, the intertwining stories in the screenplay adapted from Michael Koryta’s novel are structured in such a way that key details are withheld from moviegoers, which creates a sense of narrative manipulation and emotional distance. By the time the various subplots are untangled, we’re left with a series of cloudy motives and unanswered questions.

Those Who Wish Me Dead offers a heartfelt appreciation of smoke jumpers and first responders in general, from their quirky camaraderie to their courage and heroism under the most perilous of circumstances.

Unfortunately, that tribute is overwhelmed by the far-fetched coincidences that prevent the film from sparking to life.

Rated R, 100 minutes.