Prime Video’s new action-thriller movie comes from director David Ayer and sees Jason Statham play a former special forces operative dragged into conflict with a criminal force to protect the innocent in our society. No, I’m not talking about last year’s “The Beekeeper,” which held the No. spot in the platform’s top 10 most-watched list for several weeks. Instead, this new movie from Amazon MGM Studios is called “A Working Man.”
Anybody who watched “The Beekeeper” is bound to feel a strong sense of deja vu, but considering that bee-pun-laden action-thriller was a total blast, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Unfortunately, “A Working Man” has deeper flaws than its precursor, but if you want to see Jason Statham beat the snot out of some faceless goons in bombastic fashion, then you can’t go too far wrong with this one, especially now that it’s on Prime Video.
“A Working Man” was added to Amazon's streaming service earlier this week (Wednesday, September 3), and it’s already making quite an impression. Straight out of the gate, it’s secured a high position in the platform’s top 10 most-watched list, and it appears increasingly likely that it will replicate “The Beekeeper’s” run and secure the No. 1 crown.
What is “A Working Man” about?
Based on the 2014 novel by Chuck Dixon, with a screenplay co-written by director David Ayer and Sylvester Stallone, “A Working Man” stars Jason Statham as Levon Cade, an ex-Royal Marine Commando now working in construction.
Levon wants to leave his dangerous former life behind, especially as he’s currently fighting for custody of his daughter and needs to prove himself a stable parental figure. This resolve to leave his past professional behind is tested when human traffickers take his boss's daughter hostage.
Leaning on his old buddy, Gunny (David Harbour), for support, Levon steps back into a blood-soaked world filled with firearms and brutal fistfights on a mission to rescue an innocent life and maybe even bring the entire criminal organization down in the process.
'A Working Man' is action-thriller comfort food
“A Working Man” is a by-the-numbers action-thriller. It’s the type of movie where just looking at the poster tells you exactly what you’re going to get. If you want to see Jason Statham doing his usual gruff action-hero shtick while putting the beatdown on a whole army of evil goons, you’re going to get exactly what you want in this largely well-constructed movie.
David Ayer serves as a steady hand in the director's chair. The action set pieces are well choreographed, and while the finale doesn’t boast the best lighting, generally, it’s easy to follow the skirmishes, even when the bullets are flying and explosions are going off regularly. Special shout-out to the early fistfight on a construction site, which adds a pinch of novelty.
The similarities to “The Beekeeper” are self-evident. In fact, while writing this article, I had to look up the cast list to refresh my memory on Jeremy Irons’ role in “A Working Man,” only to discover that his smarmy character was actually in “The Beekeeper” instead. These movies could certainly be considered fairly interchangeable, but there is one big difference.
“A Working Man” lacks the self-aware streak that made “The Beekeeper” such an unexpected joy. Statham/Ayer’s 2024 effort knew it was ridiculous and steered into the skid with countless bee puns and intentionally ridiculous moments. “A Working Man” feels a little more self-serious in contrast, and ultimately that makes for a less entertaining watch.
Should you stream 'A Working Man' on Prime Video?
If you’re looking for a routine Jason Statham action-thriller watch, you can’t go far wrong with “A Working Man.” It’s by no means the most memorable movie you’ll see this year, but it’s got a few adrenaline-raising moments, and it’s easy enough to get behind its protagonist's quest to dismantle a human trafficking ring.
However, if "good enough" just won't do and you want something that feels fresher, be sure to check out this phenomenal action movie, which just returned to Peacock. Otherwise, if you want more Prime Video picks to consider, the streaming service just added Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag,” which ranks as one of my favourite movies of the year (so far).
Watch "A Working Man" on Prime Video now
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