Those Who Wish Me Dead
2021 · Directed by Taylor Sheridan
Original language: English
- thriller
- action
The story
A young boy finds himself pursued by two assassins in the Montana wilderness, with a survival expert determined to protect him, and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.
What it’s like
Smoke-hazed daylight and ember-orange dusk give this Montana neo-western a scorched, bronze palette, with sweeping aerial shots of mountain ridges and dry timber contrasted against tight, handheld framing when the chase closes in. The score is a low, pulsing synth bed under wind and crackling fire, and the forest sounds like something that could turn at any moment. Its vibe is dread-soaked and grim, a survival thriller where the wildfire feels like a living antagonist. Pacing is steady, built on long stretches of tracking and waiting before bursts of sudden, brutal violence. The emotional register is tragic and heavy: a weary fire lookout slowly shielding a traumatized boy, with grief and guilt running through every scene. Violence is frequent and often graphic, with shootings, stabbings and gruesome deaths, plus a child in peril throughout, so it is distressing rather than gentle. It suits a late-night watch by someone who likes hard-edged thrillers and doesn't mind bleak, emotionally punishing endings.
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