A Working Man
March 26th, 2025
MOVIE: A WORKING MAN
STARRING: JASON STATHAM, DAVID HARBOUR, MICHAEL PEÑA, JASON FLEMYNG
DIRECTED BY: DAVID AYER
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 116 MINUTES
There are certain expectations regarding action movies, especially when a star like Jason Statham is involved. With Jackie Chan, we expect death-defying stunts and unmatched kung-fu skills; with Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s all about brute strength and physicality. On the other hand, Statham is known for playing a ticking time bomb—underestimated until he unleashes a powerful punch. Unfortunately, his recent film A Working Man only offers brief glimpses of what makes Statham great, surrounded by a muddled, messy rescue mission more fitting for VOD than the big screen. It’s a shame because Statham never phones it in, but A Working Man simply isn’t up to the task.
Like many of Statham’s action films, the plot here isn’t the focus, nor is it clear why the main character, Levon Cade, has an English accent and works in Chicago. Levon (Statham) is the head foreman at a construction site run by Joe Garcia (Michael Peña) and his family. Levon keeps a low profile, sleeping in his car to save on rent while fighting for custody of his daughter from his late wife’s father. His quiet existence is upended when Joe’s daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), is kidnapped by a group of Russian sex traffickers, setting Levon on a mission of vengeance.
In theory, there’s potential here for something exciting. Statham has recently impressed in films like The Beekeeper and Wrath of Man, but in A Working Man, director David Ayer and co-writer Sylvester Stallone seem more interested in fulfilling a generic vigilante rescue mission than in exploring the character or story. Stallone’s approach recalls his own Rambo: Last Blood (where he swapped Mexican cartels for Russian mobsters). The film’s set pieces lack the flair and creativity needed to make them memorable, instead relying on torture tactics to move the plot along. Statham, usually magnetic, seems bored, and the convoluted revenge story creates a nearly two-hour slog that could’ve benefited from a tighter, ninety-minute runtime.
On top of the meandering plot, A Working Man suffers from paper-thin characters. The tough middleman Dutch (Chidi Ajufo) is relegated to sitting in chairs looking intimidating, while Levon’s blind friend Gunny (David Harbour, who seems to have filmed his scenes in half a day) helps him lay low and supplies him with weapons. The Russian mobsters who kidnap Jenny are so inept that it’s a miracle they managed to pull off the crime in the first place. They all exist in Ayer’s bleak world of low-lifes and drug pushers—an aesthetic that has worked for him in the past, but here feels cheap and unimaginative.
Additionally, A Working Man falters with its portrayal of Chicago, with geography that’s laughably off, and set designs that appear recycled from other films. After the success of The Beekeeper (yes, I’m still hoping for Beekeeper 2), the most disappointing thing about A Working Man is how it feels like both Ayer and Statham are going through the motions. We deserve better action movies than this. A Working Man should look for another job.
1 ½ STARS
A WORKING MAN IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
