Those Who Wish Me Dead

Two assassins close in on a young boy who has witnessed something dangerous, forcing him to flee across the rugged Montana wilderness. A veteran forest firefighter named Hannah Faber happens upon his trail and makes protecting him her sole mission. As they push through snow, wind, and pine, a wildfire roars behind them, turning every step into a countdown against smoke and heat. The pursuers exploit the land, weaving through canyons and ridges while the weather shifts in their favor. Hannah relies on practical survival skills, hard earned resilience, and a stubborn instinct to shield a child who has stumbled into forces far larger than himself. The suspense hinges on duty versus danger, trust versus doubt, and the way a shared burst of courage can alter a perilous fate.

Directed by Taylor Sheridan, the film adapts Michael Koryta's novel Those Who Wish Me Dead with additional input from Charles Leavitt. It arrived in 2021 from Paramount Pictures with a hybrid release that mixed theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

Produced on a 20 million dollar budget, the movie grossed about 23.38 million worldwide. The result reflects a modest performance for a mid range thriller released during a period when theaters faced competition from streaming options.

Angelina Jolie anchors the film with a terse, practical presence that lingers after the final chase. The Montana setting and wildfire visuals provide a sturdy backdrop that elevates the usual chase dynamics, giving fans of wilderness thrillers a tangible sense of danger and grit. The supporting cast, including Finn Little, Jon Bernthal, and Nicholas Hoult, complements Jolie's intensity, helping this title stay within the memory of mid career action dramas.

Critics offered a mixed verdict, noting sturdy performances and solid production values while sometimes signaling that the plot and character arcs stay close to genre conventions. The film probes themes of protective instinct, the cost of violence, and how trauma can shape a responder who must act under extreme pressure.