Fresh off the heels of the 2024 worldwide hit action movie, The Beekeeper, Jason Statham re-teams with filmmaker David Ayer for another action-thriller about a working-class hero. Their latest film, A Working Man, has been dominating the streaming charts on Prime Video, recently became the streamer’s No.1 movie in the U.S., and it has also become a major streaming success across the globe. Interestingly, A Working Man has a fun connection to another popular franchise of Statham’s acting career, The Expendables. Statham’s longtime collaborator and Expendables co-star, Sylvester Stallone, co-wrote the script for A Working Man with Ayer and also produced the movie. Stallone’s experience and talent as a writer brought a strong creative influence to the movie that nicely grounds the narrative.
Statham Must Race Against the Clock to Rescue a Friend’s Kidnapped Daughter
Statham stars in A Working Man as Levon Cade, a former British Royal Marine-turned-construction foreman who is trying to put his violent past behind him. However, Cade is eventually compelled to return to his old ways when his boss’ daughter, Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas), is kidnapped by human traffickers connected to the Russian mob. With time running out for Jenny, Cade must brave dangerous Russian gangsters, corrupt cops, drug dealers, and hitmen, shaking a proverbial hornet’s nest. After the Russian mafia discovers Cade’s identity, they target his loved ones as well, as Cade must navigate a deadly game to bring Jenny home alive.
A Working Man is an action-packed thriller cut from a similar cloth as A Man on Fire. The story is superior to The Beekeeper because Statham’s character has a much stronger, layered characterization and personal stakes built within the plot. Cade’s boss, Joe (Michael Peña), and the rest of the Garcias act as Cade’s surrogate family, underscoring Cade’s humanity and compassion. Cade, a widower whose beloved wife recently passed away after committing suicide, adds another interesting layer to his backstory. Cade is also a father to his own young daughter, Merry (Isla Gie), which explains his empathy for the Garcia family, showcasing Cade as a far more relatable and likable protagonist.
‘A Working Man’ Inverts the Damsel in Distress Trope
Another exceptional aspect of Stallone and Ayer’s script is highlighted in the depiction of Jenny Garcia, who serves as more than a mere plot device and a person Cade desperately seeks to rescue. Ayer exceptionally showcases Jenny’s agency as a character by showcasing her harrowing captivity under two vile kidnappers, Artemis (Eve Mauro) and Viper (Emmett J. Scanlan). Jenny frequently proves resourceful and attempts to fight her way out of her predicament multiple times. It’s impressive to see the narrative frequently depict Jenny’s development throughout the movie, displaying her courage and fierceness when her captors attempt to make her a rich sociopath’s victim.
Midway through the film, Jenny nearly escapes from her kidnappers in a suspenseful chase sequence. Unfortunately, she’s discovered by corrupt police officers in the employ of the Russian mafia, and Viper and Artemis quickly take her back under their captivity. In the final act, Jenny eventually proves instrumental in aiding her rescue, joining Cade in his fight against her captors and earning some righteous payback against Artemis. Usually, in action thrillers such as this, the female character who gets kidnapped usually plays the victim and does not get the chance to have such a strong role in the plot. Jenny proves to be a valiant individual and serves as a refreshing change of pace, elevating a character beyond the helpless female victim trope.
Stallone’s Script Provides a Strong Emotional and Grounded Plot
Stallone and Ayer flesh out Cade’s identity as a father and widower, bringing a strong emotional grounding and resonance to A Working Man. Cade is a compassionate and fair man of integrity who tries to lead a peaceful and honest life to set a good example for his daughter. Unfortunately, Cade is dealing with a nasty custody dispute with his father-in-law, Jordan Roth (Richard Heap), who is suing Cade for sole guardianship over Merry. Introducing Cade as an attentive, dedicated, loving, and hard-working father who is desperately fighting an unfair custody dispute renders Cade as a more sympathetic, grounded, and relatable protagonist. Stallone’s script brings a mature fatherly influence to the plot, an element that Statham’s other action flicks sometimes lack.
Additionally, the story exceptionally showcases the danger and consequences of Cade utilizing his experience as a soldier to rescue Jenny. His actions provoke a war with the Russian mafia, who then target Cade’s father-in-law and Merry as a result. In a revenge or action thriller such as this, the protagonist rarely faces such consequences for their violent actions. Although all the individuals Cade targets are bad, the story demonstrates that violence often breeds more violence, risking the lives of people close to Cade in the process. Whenever Statham works with Ayer and Stallone, they create something fun and exciting, but A Working Man features some uniquely refreshing elements that elevate the experience.
- Release Date
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March 28, 2025
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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David Ayer
