(L to R) Arianna Rivas as Jenny Garcia and Jason Statham as Levon Cade in director David Ayer's A WORKING MAN. An Amazon MGM Studios film. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Courtney Howard // Film Critic
A WORKING MAN
Rated R, 1 hour and 56 minutes
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Jason Statham, David Harbour, Jason Flemyng, Maximilian Osinski, Arianna Rivas, Isla Gie, Emmett J Scanlan, Eve Mauro, Chidi Ajufo, Michael Peña, Noemi Gonzalez
Walking through the world as a bright, attractive twenty-something woman can put a target on your back – or so frighteningly posits A WORKING MAN. We can only hope there’s a flinty anti-hero like Levon Cade around to make the world a safer place by doing very bad things to a bunch of very bad people. While there are plenty of throwback-style one-liners throughout, as well as some heart and hilarity to be had, the film’s strengths lie in the straight-forward character-driven antics and action capably conducted by director David Ayer. It’s a tad more serious than THE BEEKEEPER in method and tone, and perhaps more in line with the JACK REACHER franchise. Ayer and Co have crafted a chiseled, no mercy brawler. And it’s what we go to the movies for: a rollicking, crowd-pleasing great time seeing star Jason Statham kick ass.
Chicago-based ex-military-operative-turned-construction-worker Levon Cade (Statham) is currently having a bad go at life. Not only is his wife dead and he suffers from PTSD due to multiple tours overseas, his finances have been depleted by lawyer’s fees and court battles in the years since his return, fighting against his ostentatious, obnoxious father-in-law for custody of his cute-as-a-button, wise-beyond-her-years adolescent daughter Merry (Isla Gie). He’s also sacrificing his own well-being, living out of his truck and saving on rent money. Yet through all his personal strife, the single father has a heart of gold, taking care of his blue-collar crew as if they’re family, defending their lives with his own.
However, Levon’s real call to arms occurs when Jenny (Arianna Rivas), the collegiate daughter of his worksite’s owner Joe (Michael Peña) and manager Carla (Noemi Gonzalez), is kidnapped while out celebrating with a group of friends at a nightclub. Joe and Carla are aware of Levon’s precise set of skills from his past life and enlist his help for Jenny’s safe return. At first reticent, he quickly relents, realizing he can’t let another dad lose a daughter. And after his visit with his blind bestie/ former soldier Gunny (David Harbour) for some encouragement and firearms, Levon’s ready to fight his way up the chain to rescue the distressed damsel. Trouble is, this gets the one-man army into hot water with the Russian Mafia, a bunch of beefy bikers and a troupe of crooked cops.
Adapted by Ayer and co-writer Sylvester Stallone from author Chuck Dixon’s 1st of 12 novels, “Levon’s Trade,” the picture’s entertainment value hinges on its stoic protagonist delivering signature vengeance-fueled beat-downs. Whether it be tossing a bucket of nails at assailants, swinging a sledge hammer at slimebags, or besting baddies with barrages of bullets, it’s exhilarating to see our hero utilizing tools of his trade to gain the upper hand on these nefarious felons. With the exception of repeating EXPEND4BLES’ one good joke (Statham slapping a guy who’s disrespectful to women) and JOHN WICK’s weapons sommelier scene, the action is fresh, well-conceived and confidently executed. Best of all, it constantly keeps character motivation at the forefront. Levon’s internal conflicts directly inform his external struggle, as he leaves behind his own daughter to rescue someone else’s because he made a pact to protect them. We see guilt weigh on his soul – only his absolution is violence.
Nigel Evans’ production design, Fred Raskin’s cuts and Shawn White’s naturalistic cinematography harmonize brilliantly with fight choreography from stunt coordinators Eddie Fernandez and Nik Schodel. The close-quarters fisticuffs in the back of a Sprinter utility van are a highlight as Levon defends himself against two bumbling, track-suited villains with his bare hands, some rope and whatever gear is around. His death-dealing weaponry feels improvisational in these moments. The red-lit glow of the biker bar’s backroom is oppressive, especially when it transforms into a place for a brutal, bone-crunching, bottle-breaking brawl. The dingy floors of a makeshift casino in a remote, derelict farmhouse reflect the nature of the wealthy perpetrators’ crimes, gambling away their money and humanity.
That said, there are a few faults. Small bits of dialogue are wonky. Lines like “I took this with my film camera” (as Levon gifts his daughter a photo of her mom) and “You are more than a pitch deck” (as Jenny’s group of gals validate her smarts) are cringe-worthy in their inclusion. Expanding upon the whereabouts of an extremely tertiary character, mentioning that the abused wife of Russian mobster Wolo Kolisnyk (Jason Flemyng) was out at a Pilates class when her husband perished in Levon’s hands, reads as unnecessary. Plus, pacing becomes a bit of an issue in the second act, as the story tangles itself up in superfluous detailing when a tighter economy of time would’ve benefited narrative momentum.
However, moments filled with levity serve as mood boosts, contrasting the film’s sobering portrayal of human trafficking. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” played on the piano in the actual moonlight earns a chuckle of acknowledgement. The climactic shootout between Levon and an unhinged baddie in a patent leather raincoat firing off a machine gun is hilarious. And every scene between Statham and Gie is a genuine delight as they exercise a tender, undeniable rapport.
With 11 more books left in the literary series for the adapting, we desperately need one of these sequels per year from the dynamic duo of Ayer and Statham.
Grade: B
A WORKING MAN opens in theaters on March 28.
