The Jason Statham occupational cinematic universe continues with A Working Man. He’s been a Transporter, a Mechanic, a Beekeeper, and now, A Working Man. While that may be the running joke on the internet, there’s always a bit of truth in jest, and by now you should have a good idea of what to expect from a Jason Statham action film. A Working Man delivers on almost all fronts, but if you haven’t been a fan of these raw action movies in the past, this one is unlikely to bring you around.
Table of Contents
Plot: You’re Not Here for the Plot
A Working Man follows Levon Cade (Jason Statham), a former military specialist who now runs construction sites. When his surrogate family’s daughter gets kidnapped, Cade will stop at nothing to bring her back home safely. Of course, that means a lot of criminals are going to be violently dealt with along the way, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
While The Beekeeper had a fairly straightforward plot, it made sense, and allowed Statham’s Adam Clay to satisfy the action requirements of the film. A Working Man isn’t quite as clean cut. The plot is convoluted at best, with a number of unnecessary twists and turns. With the film clocking in at just shy of two hours, you can’t help but feel as though the plot could have easily been streamlined to trim 30 minutes off the runtime, with much better results.
Action: This is Why You’re Here
Plot problems aside, you don’t go to a David Ayer, Jason Statham film for the plot. You go for the raw thrills, and A Working Man certainly delivers in that regard. Similar to The Fast and the Furious films, there’s plenty of wild, almost nonsensical action, with a hefty dose of violence. It’s what audiences expect from these films, and A Working Man definitely cranks that up a notch compared to The Beekeeper.
Performances: Statham Brings the Pain
Jason Statham’s performance is exactly what you’d expect from the seasoned veteran. In addition, Arianna Rivas as Jenny Garcia (the surrogate daughter), and Isla Gie as Merry Cade (Levon’s biological daughter) add a nice dose of action and levity, respectively. Their performances provide additional depth to these characters, and prevent them from being completely overshadowed by Statham.
Emmett J. Scanlan as Viper, and Eve Mauro as Artemis are two of the villains in the film, and while neither offers a bad performance, they are both fairly stereotypical villains. Michael Peña usually offers strong performances in his films, but he’s on the verge of phoning it in as Joe Garcia. The acting is serviceable across the board, but no one is going to win an Oscar on this one.
Final Verdict: Great Action, Convoluted Plot
A Working Man provides intense action and close quarters combat, but doesn’t offer as much in terms of plot compared to Statham’s other films. If you’re looking for raw action, A Working Man will keep you entertained, but it’s a little too long for what’s on display. You should already know what to expect from a Statham action film, but just be ready for a plot that’s over complicated, and a lengthy runtime.
About A Working Man
Synopsis: Levon Cade left his profession behind to work construction and be a good dad to his daughter. But when a local girl vanishes, he’s asked to return to the skills that made him a mythic figure in the shadowy world of counter-terrorism.
Director: David Ayer
Writers: Sylvester Stallone, David Ayer, Chuck Dixon
Cast: Jason Statham, Maximilian Osinski, Arianna Rivas, Isla Gie, Eve Mauro, Emmett J. Scanlan, Chidi Ajufo, David Harbour
Rated: R
Runtime: 1 Hour, 56 Minutes
Releases: March 28, 2025
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
- Bryan Dawsonhttps://geeknewsnetwork.net/author/bdawson1/
