A Working Man, directed by David Ayer and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, is a hard-hitting action thriller that sees Jason Statham return to the kind of role that has defined his career. In this film, he embodies Levon Cade, a man who has left behind a life of black-ops and military violence for the quiet, honest work of a construction foreman. His goal is to live a simple, peaceful life and, most importantly, be a good father to his young daughter.
However, Levon's carefully constructed new world is shattered when the teenage daughter of his boss—a family he has grown to care for deeply—is kidnapped by human traffickers. The local police prove to be of little help, and with his own past trauma of losing a loved one, Levon feels a moral imperative to act. He is compelled to dust off the very specific, and very lethal, set of skills he had sworn to abandon. His one-man mission to rescue the girl quickly pulls him into the dark and violent world he had tried so hard to leave behind.
As he delves deeper into the investigation, Levon uncovers a sprawling criminal network far more complex and dangerous than a simple kidnapping. He finds himself pitted against a ruthless Russian human trafficking syndicate. His systematic dismantling of their operations draws the attention of higher-level mobsters and assassins, forcing him to escalate his methods. The film embraces a no-frills, brutal approach to action, with Levon using his intelligence and combat prowess to navigate this perilous underworld.
The film's strength lies in its relentless pacing and Statham's commanding performance as the stoic and determined Levon. While the plot follows a familiar revenge-thriller formula, it is executed with a visceral intensity. The film is less about grand spectacle and more about the gritty, street-level brutality of Levon's quest for justice. The character of Levon Cade is a fusion of the one-man-army heroes from classic action films, driven by a deeply personal motive rather than a larger mission.
A Working Man is a tense and satisfying action movie that delivers exactly what fans expect from a Jason Statham-led project. It's a tale of a man with a difficult past who is forced to confront it in order to do what is right. It explores the idea that some skills, once acquired, can never truly be left behind, especially when a loved one's life is on the line. The film is a tribute to the enduring archetype of the working-class hero who fights back against a corrupt and uncaring world.
A Working Man is a 2025 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes.
It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.7 and a MetaScore of 52.
