REVIEW - A Working Man (2025)

Statham Does What He Does Best, and Sometimes That’s All You Need

The Working Man didn’t blow me away, nor did it stand out as anything particularly fresh or groundbreaking—but honestly, that’s not what I was expecting, and that’s not a bad thing. This film delivers exactly what I’ve come to expect from a Jason Statham movie: no-frills, high-octane action and a lot of butt-kicking. And sometimes, that’s exactly the kind of movie we need.

Directed by David Ayer and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, A Working Man follows Levon Cade (Statham), a former Royal Marine commando trying to live a quiet life as a construction worker in Chicago. But when his boss’s teenage daughter Jenny (played by Arianna Rivas) is kidnapped by a human trafficking ring, Cade is forced to unleash his particular set of skills to bring her home. Along the way, he faces off against Russian mobsters, biker gangs, and dirty officials in a gritty, blue-collar underworld.

Jason Statham is firmly in his wheelhouse here. His performance as Cade is everything fans love him for—stoic, sharp, and brutally efficient. It’s not a character that reinvents the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. Statham is one of the best in the business at this kind of role, and A Working Man gives him the perfect excuse to flex those action muscles.

David Ayer brings his signature gritty aesthetic to the film, grounding the story in a working-class environment that feels appropriately grimy and lived-in. The action sequences are well shot and hard-hitting, with just enough style to keep things visually interesting without going over the top.

Sure, the plot borrows familiar beats from movies like Taken, The Equalizer, and even John Wick, and yes, you can see certain twists coming a mile away. But again—that’s not the point. This is a classic “unplug your brain” movie. It’s the kind of film you throw on when you just want to escape into something simple, fast-paced, and adrenaline-fueled for 100 minutes. And on that level, A Working Man delivers exactly what it promises.

Statham fans will feel right at home. The emotional stakes are just high enough to justify the chaos, and the pacing keeps things moving. If you go in expecting a gritty character drama or a reinvention of the genre, you might be left wanting more. But if you’re looking for Statham doing what he does best—kicking ass with style and intensity—you’ll walk away satisfied.

The Working Man hits theaters on March 28, 2025, and if you're looking for a solid, straightforward action flick to escape into for a while, it’s worth checking out.

Rating: 7.0/10