A Working Man (2025)

“A Working Man” stars Jason Statham, David Harbour, Michael Peña, and Jason Flemyng.  Released on March 28, 2025, the film has a former commando coming out of retirement to find his boss’s daughter.

The film is directed by David Ayer, who also directed films such as “Street Kings”, “End of Watch”, “Suicide Squad”, “Bright”, and “The Beekeeper”.  It is based on the 2014 novel by Chuck Dixon.  It’s days like this when people just can’t learn not to perform illegal activities, whether it’s stealing from the unexpected or capturing humans for exploitation.  Luckily, we got Jason Statham around to teach these criminals the consequences of their actions.  You know, since the authorities couldn’t do anything like he could.  After punishing the ungrateful phishing scammers in last year’s “The Beekeeper”, Statham and director David Ayer reunite for another dose of action-packed justice as they take on the equally-as-terrible world of human trafficking.  I suppose a former skilled killer’s work is never done, especially when that someone is Mr. Statham himself.  Does this latest action thriller deliver the satisfaction and entertainment of punishing traffickers, or should it just stay retired from duty?  Let’s find out.

The story centers on Levon Cade (Statham), an ex-commando from the Royal Marines.  He retires from active duty to lead a peaceful life as a construction worker and loving father to his daughter, Merry (Isla Gie).  However, Levon’s tranquil retirement hits a snag when his boss, Joe Garcia (Peña), informs him that his daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), has been captured by human traffickers.  As a result, Levon is tasked with re-employing the skills that made him a legendary figure to find and rescue Jenny within the criminal underworld.  His mission puts him face to face with a shocking conspiracy involving corruption that puts his life and daughter in danger. 

Undoubtedly, anything Jason Statham is involved in is an automatic “yes” in my book.  While most of his movies were just copy-and-paste versions of one another, Statham’s charisma and entertaining stunts have enough merits to overcome their familiarity, which Liam Neeson struggled to accomplish in his recent outings.  “A Working Man” seems to be no different regarding its marketing since it’s seeking to copy the similar success as Statham and David Ayer’s previous film, “The Beekeeper”, both by design and style.  Considering how much I enjoyed “The Beekeeper” despite its imperfections, it left me hoping that “A Working Man” would maintain that formula, if not improve it, especially since Ayer regained his directorial groove with “The Beekeeper” regarding the critical reception.  Fortunately for me, my hopes were mostly fulfilled upon seeing the movie.

Like “The Beekeeper”, “A Working Man” didn’t offer much in its storytelling to revolutionize the action genre.  However, David Ayer’s focus on providing entertainment and grit into Statham dishing out justice was enough to consider it another flawed yet enjoyable outing from the actor/director duo. “A Working Man” did have a bit more potential in its plot than “The Beekeeper”, even though I enjoyed both equally for different reasons.  One reason was Levon Cade’s character arc elevating the scenes between the violence, in which he struggles to be a good father to Merry after his past as a commando caused a rift between them.  These sequences mostly humanize Levon as a striving former soldier attempting to leave his violent past behind to live a tranquil life, similar to how soldiers experienced following their days in the war.  Additionally, the moments between Levon and Merry had a sense of tenderness and warmth that I couldn’t help but form a big smile on my face whenever they were on screen together.  Unfortunately, its potential was somewhat reduced regarding how the script handled its tropes and thematic concepts.

In addition to directing, David Ayer also wrote the film’s screenplay alongside Statham’s “Expendables” co-star Sylvester Stallone, who also served as one of the producers.  The script had its share of moments that were entertainingly silly or sentimentally charismatic to overshadow most of its familiar trappings.  However, that novelty gradually wore off by its third act due to a couple of dragged-out moments, half-baked ideas, and corny dialogue.  I’m okay with the one-liners being a bit cheesy if there’s enough charisma injected into its tone.  However, considering that it’s more along the lines of a gritty, action-packed thriller, I felt that some of its lines were pretty phoned in.  But hey, if corny one-liners are your thing, you might enjoy it more than I did, with no judgment from me whatsoever.  I also thought its commentary on human trafficking and corruption was a bit underused, especially with its two corrupt cops who are working for the traffickers.

Besides those flaws, “A Working Man” is another movie whose formula is tolerable with the right mindset and the proper amount of merits to make its concept work.  One of those merits is David Ayer, who returns to direct the film after collaborating with Statham in “The Beekeeper”.  One thing I admire about Ayer is that he’s one of the filmmakers who balances the grim and realistic presentation with a sense of charisma and brutally violent energy, which is enough to excuse its darkly lit lighting.  That alone helped elevate “End of Watch” and “Fury” as my personal favorites from Ayer.  Thankfully, Ayer made a slight comeback after a couple of misfires by providing that similar edge in “The Beekeeper”.  His vision shown in “A Working Man” further proves that Ayer hasn’t lost his step, as he offered a suitable dose of white-knuckled grit and appeal in his grimly attractive presentation to coincide with its entertaining violence.  While I would like to see more of Levon’s construction expertise being utilized alongside his commando skills, the brutal action still hit as hard as taking a hammer to a face.

Another merit that played a role in its success was Jason Statham himself.  Yes, he plays the same rugged and gritty character from his previous outings, but his charismatic appeal makes this trope more tolerable than it has every right to be.  Regardless of the quality, Statham usually succeeds in his charm and stunts to elevate a film’s narrative and make audiences cheer for his badass aura.  Unsurprisingly, the same can be said for his engaging portrayal of Levon Cade, making him one of the movie’s highlights.  David Harbour and Michael Peña also provided some decent moments regarding their roles of Gunny Lefferty, Levon’s ally, and Joe Garcia, respectively.  However, those who wanted Harbour to deliver the same action-packed goodness that Statham offered may be slightly disappointed with the result.  As for Peña, who previously collaborated with Ayer in “End of Watch”, he deserves credit for stepping out of his comfort zone with his down-to-earth roles amid his more light-hearted ones. 

Overall, “A Working Man” dishes out another dose of gritty, action-packed justice in its presentation and Jason Statham’s appeal despite being overworked by its narrative tropes.  Undoubtedly, this is another undemanding action thriller that’ll satisfy audiences searching for harmless entertainment, similar to “The Beekeeper”.  However, when it comes to everything else amid its brutally enjoyable action, it’s also another film that doesn’t offer much else to reinvigorate the genre, which I can tolerate for the most part.  While its screenplay consisting of iffy dialogue and underutilized ideas won’t impress everyone, Jason Statham’s performance and David Ayer’s direction of the presentation, action, and charm were the only merits capable of delivering a mostly satisfying experience for the actor’s fans.  It’s no “End of Watch” or “Fury”, but it shows signs of Ayer maintaining his visionary groove, all thanks to the action star who takes matters into his own hands.

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