The story of Those Who Wish Me Dead
When a young boy witnesses the brutal murder of his father, he becomes a walking target—a loose end that two assassins are hired to tie up permanently. On the run through the Montana wilderness with nowhere safe to turn, he crosses paths with Hannah, a hardened smoke jumper with her own tragic past. What unfolds is a desperate survival story where neither character can afford to fail. The film doesn't waste time with exposition. Within the first act, the stakes are clear: a child knows too much, killers are closing in, and the only person standing between him and death is a woman who's already lost everything she cared about. It's a stripped-down thriller that trades elaborate plotting for raw forward momentum.
Behind the making of Those Who Wish Me Dead
Director Taylor Sheridan—known for his work on Sicario and Wind River—adapted Michael Koryta's novel for the screen alongside screenwriters Charles Leavitt and Koryta himself. The script grounds itself in neo-western sensibilities: isolated protagonists, moral ambiguity, and landscapes that feel as hostile as the human threats. Sheridan's version was filmed across Canada and the United States, with the wildfire sequences serving as both literal danger and metaphor for the chaos consuming these characters' lives. The cast brings serious pedigree. Angelina Jolie anchors the film with the kind of weathered intensity she's made her trademark, while Jon Bernthal, Nicholas Hoult, and Aidan Gillen inhabit the antagonists with genuine menace. Young Finn Little carries the emotional weight of a kid forced to grow up fast—no small feat in a thriller that asks him to hold his own against established actors. The film hit theaters in May 2021 and earned $7.4 million at the domestic box office, a modest return that reflected pandemic-era theatrical challenges rather than audience disinterest. It received one awards nomination and holds a Metascore of 59, landing in that tricky middle ground where critics acknowledged craft without declaring it essential.
What makes Those Who Wish Me Dead stand out
Here's what's striking about this film: it doesn't try to be more than it is. There's no bloated third act twist, no sudden moral reckoning that feels unearned. Instead, Sheridan trusts his premise and his actors to carry the weight. Jolie's Hannah isn't a superhero—she's competent, yes, but also haunted, sometimes reckless, and wrestling with the ghosts of people she couldn't save. That vulnerability matters. The Rotten Tomatoes score of 63% (Fresh) reflects a film that mostly works, even if it doesn't transcend its genre. What audiences and critics alike noted was the character evolution, particularly how Hannah and the boy—Connor—transform each other through crisis. She's forced to care again. He's forced to trust. The thing nobody mentions is how well Sheridan stages action in natural environments. When the wildfire becomes a character itself—not just a backdrop but an active threat that complicates every escape route—the film finds its footing. It's reminiscent of survival thrillers like Cliffhanger, but grounded in something more intimate and tragic. The performances anchor everything. Jon Bernthal and Nicholas Hoult, as the hired killers, bring a cold professionalism that makes them far more frightening than cartoonish villains ever could be. They're not motivated by grudges or ideology—just paycheck and competence. That's somehow worse.
Where to stream Those Who Wish Me Dead online
If you're ready to watch, Those Who Wish Me Dead is currently streaming on Netflix. The film's 99-minute runtime makes it an easy evening commitment, and the platform's availability means you can start immediately without hunting across multiple services. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across platforms, so you'll always know where to find this title and similar action thrillers. The Where to Watch widget at the top of this page shows you exactly which services have it in your region right now, so you don't have to guess. Netflix's handling of the film is solid—the cinematography and sound design that Sheridan crafted really benefit from a decent screen and sound setup, so don't sleep on it just because it's streaming.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Those Who Wish Me Dead based on a true story?
No, it's adapted from Michael Koryta's 2014 novel of the same name. While the story isn't real, Koryta drew on his knowledge of wildfire behavior and Montana geography to ground the narrative in authentic detail.
Q: Who directed Those Who Wish Me Dead?
Taylor Sheridan directed the film. He's also known for Sicario (2015) and Wind River (2017), as well as creating the TV series Yellowstone and 1883. His sensibility—morally gray characters, landscape as threat—defines the film's tone.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for Those Who Wish Me Dead?
The film holds a 6.1/10 on IMDb from over 77,000 votes. It's a solid middle-ground score that suggests viewers found it entertaining without considering it a masterpiece.
Q: How long is Those Who Wish Me Dead?
The film runs 99 minutes, making it a lean thriller without unnecessary padding. It's short enough to watch in one sitting but substantial enough to feel complete.
Q: Is Those Who Wish Me Dead rated R?
Yes, it carries an R rating for violence and language. The film doesn't shy away from the brutality of its premise, so expect genuine peril and some harsh moments.
Final thoughts on Those Who Wish Me Dead
Taylor Sheridan's Those Who Wish Me Dead isn't trying to reinvent the thriller. What it does is execute the fundamentals with craft and sincerity—two things that matter more than you'd think in a genre crowded with forgettable entries. Angelina Jolie carries the film with a performance that feels earned rather than phoned in, and the relationship between her character and the boy develops naturally through shared danger. If you're looking for a tense, competently made action thriller that doesn't overstay its welcome, it's worth your time. Stream it on Netflix and see for yourself.
