Movie Review: A Working Man

Upon first glance, A Working Man appears to be cut from the same cloth that bore 2008’s Taken. But, whereas Pierre Morel’s film was more of a cathartic release for a parent wronged by kidnappers, A Working Man finds its heart in the soul of a man who is simply trying to protect the family that was there for him when no one else was.

The film begins with a brief introduction to the character of Levon Cade (Jason Statham) as he is seen working on a construction site as a foreman of sorts. His previous career within military black ops is hinted at during the opening credit montage and then suggested at further when a co-worker of his is accosted by gang members attempting to collect a debt and Cade thwarts their attempt. However, when the daughter of Cade’s boss (Michael Peña) is kidnapped to be sold into slavery, Cade’s history comes rumbling to the surface as he sets out to rescue the girl from her captors.

From there, the film follows a sort of spy thriller type of format that includes the hero collecting information on his would-be targets, preparing for his battle with them, and then subsequently seeking out and confronting them. That being said, what is remarkable here is how thoroughly entertaining the whole endeavor proves to be. While it had the potential to be a point-to-point display of various methods in which Cade would dispatch of his enemies, the film instead works from a place of good intentions rather than violence rewarded with violence. In short, Statham is portraying something of a real-life superhero in this story and it comes complete with the code of such as well. That is, there is no effort to gratuitously eradicate the bad guys from the picture as they are dispatched. In fact, one gets the impression that Cade actually abhors violence and that is a welcome revelation in a film such as this.

Jason Statham in “A Working Man.” © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Based on Chuck Dixon’s book entitled Levon’s Trade, the screenplay, written by Ayer and Sylvester Stallone, portrays Cade as an everyman from the onset, much like Stallone’s own First Blood did John Rambo back in 1982. There is a pathos to the character that is allowed to come through due to the absence of wanton violence or gratuitous gore that typically plagues stories of this ilk. This is a more straight-forward approach and the overall film benefits greatly from it.

Although he is surrounded with supporting players that deliver fine performances in their assigned rolls – such as the aforementioned Michael Peña and David Harbour as Cade’s old wartime compatriot – it is Statham’s somewhat surprisingly subdued portrayal that gives the film its gravitas. Arianna Rivas’ work as Jenny too comes across as more natural than contrived and allows for her character’s transformation to occur more organically intrinsic to the story than something that simply occurs to move the film along.

While A Working Man may not prove to be the epitome of this category of film, it certainly is one of the more entertaining entries into the genre and, aided by a somewhat understated performance from Jason Statham, makes for a fine tale of retribution without the blood and gore often associated with the genre.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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