A WORKING MAN
(director/writer: David Ayer; screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone, based on the book “Levon’s Trade” by Chuck Dixon; cinematographer: Shawn White; editor: Fred Raskin; music: Jared Michael Fry; cast: Jason Statham (Levon Cade), Jason Flemyng (Wolo Kolisnyk), Greg Kolpakchi (Danya), Piotr Witkowski (Vanko), Ricky Camp (Nestor),Merab Ninidze (Yun), Maximilian Osinski (Dimi Kolisnyk), Cokey Falkow (Dougie), David Harbour (Gunny Lefferty), Michael Pena (Joe Garcia), Noemi Gonzalez (Carla Garcia), Arianna Rivas (Jenny Garcia), Emmett J. Scanlan (Viper), Eve Mauro (Artemis), Merry Cade (Isla Gie), Richard Heap (Dr. Jordan Roth); Runtime: 116; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Kevin King Templeton, Bill Block, David Ayer, John Friedberg, Chris Long, Jason Statham; Amazon MGM Studios; 2025-UK/USA)
“Absurd actioner.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
American filmmaker David Ayer (“The Beekeeper”/”The Tax Collector”) directs this absurd actioner, based on the book “Levon’s Trade” by the graphic artist Chuck Dixon. Ayer co-writes it with Sylvester Stallone. The pic’s 60-year-old hero Jason Statham (too old for the athleticism this genre requires). The Brit actor also starred in Ayer’s much better Beekeeper.
Levon Cade (Jason Statham) works in Chicago as a foreman in a construction company owned by his friend Joe (Michael Pena). He’s a former black ops decorated soldier in the British military, who returns to civilian life untreated for PTSD and underappreciated for his sterling military service.
While Levon served abroad, his wife committed suicide and her rich father (Richard Heap) blames him for neglecting her. Levon’s in a custody fight with him to get back his young daughter (Isla Gie), and needs cash to pay his lawyers.
Some really bad Russians in a sex-trafficking ring kidnap Joe’s college-aged daughter Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas) at a bar party and make her a vic. They are Dimi (Maximilian Osinski), son of the Russian oligarch Wolo (Jason Flemyng), and the goons (Greg Kolpakchi, Piotr Witkowski and Rickey Camp).
Joe and his wife (Noemi Gonzalez) promise Levon a big bonus if he rescues her. Levon seeks to do it by vigilante justice, torturing as many of the baddies he can get a hold of (which pleases the audience). He gets weapons from his blind war buddy Gunny (David Harbour) and goes on the attack.
You could probably write the familiar story yourself from here-on, as Levon dusts off the saw dust on him from the construction site and goes to work.
The 1980s-like thriller is a good example of a bad action pic that exploits Statham’s star-power and action pic skills for box office and could care less about the quality of the film.
There’s an audience for such mindless but entertaining escapist films, just don’t include me in that target group.
REVIEWED ON 3/29/2025 GRADE: C-
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