August 25, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Film Review: A Working Man

By Dolores Quintana

A Working Man is the second collaboration between director David Ayer and actor Jason Statham, in which an ordinary man, even though he is a highly trained killing machine, goes up against impossible odds to save a young woman from human traffickers. 

The first film this duo made, the similarly titled The Beekeeper, was a hit among action fans, but this film does not continue that story. If anything, it is a spiritual sequel with a similar setup: a vigilante fight for justice from a taciturn man who is trying to do the right thing and just happens to be a Royal Marine. 

The first thing you might think is that it is a rip of the Taken series, which gave Liam Neeson a career as an action star, but it is not. It stands apart from the John Wick series, too, because its main character, Levon Cade, isn’t an almost supernatural being, the Baba Yaga, but an ordinary guy who will eat canned tuna and peanut butter if the family who owns the construction company where he works doesn’t give him food from their abuela. He’s not hellbent on destroying himself; he is just focused on keeping custody of his daughter. 

Jason Statham is an action star who has branched out into more dramatic roles that still allow him to flex his fighting skills. He has a quietly charismatic personality that he is honing in on with these roles. If anything, these movies remind me of the action films that starred Charles Bronson in the 1970s, before Death Wish and the popular and populist Walking Tall series. It’s a bit of a throwback to movies that they don’t make anymore. 

His character, Levon Cade, doesn’t want any trouble but will not watch evil go unpunished. He’s a moral character among the chaos of the Russian and American criminals in the movie. 

The fighting is pretty dang good, with some nice gunplay. It doesn’t have the sadistic edge that would make this a gorefest or a bummer. Director and co-writer David Ayer gives the film a dark palette that contains just enough style to match the grit of the action. The script, written with Sylvester Stallone, hits familiar action revenge-style beats with touches of humor to keep things moving and show that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

Michael Peña, Arianna Rivas, and David Harbour co-star. Peña plays the father, Joe Garcia, who owns the construction company. David Harbour plays the comedic role of his former comrade, Gunny Lefferty, who is blind but refuses to admit that he can’t see. Arianna Rivas gives a strong performance as Jenny Garcia, who was taught to fight by her Special Forces abuelo and has a persona reminiscent of Melissa Barrera. 

The underworld gangsters and drug dealers are all well cast and give their characters nuance and charisma, especially Dutch actor Max Croes, who gives a memorable performance with little to no dialogue as Karp. Yep, they named him after a fish. 

If you would like a solid action revenge picture that isn’t too gory or sadistic and has a heart, you would do well to buy a ticket to A Working Man. It is satisfying to see a man who will instantly stand up to villains who think they are above the law, given the current political climate. 

A Working Man is exactly what its name implies: meat and potatoes vigilante action, nothing too fancy, but a good meal just the same.

Related Posts

Sawtelle Neighborhood Could See Seven New Small-Lot Homes Under SB 684

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

Plans Filed Call for Replacing a Single-Family Residence With Two-Story Homes A proposed housing development could build seven small-lot homes...

18-Year-Old Woman Fatally Shot While Trying to Break Up a Fight on a Metro Bus

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

Police Say the Teen Was Killed in Westchester After Intervening in a Dispute  Efforts to break up a fight on...

Chuck Lorre Buys $27.5 Million Bel Air Mansion With Hollywood Regency Pedigree

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

TV Producer Closed on the John Elgin Woolf–Designed Estate at a Discount Chuck Lorre, the television producer behind The Big...

Is $1,500 Enough Anymore? The L.A. Tradeoffs Between Address and Actual Living Space

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

New Analysis Shows What 1500 Really Buys in the LA Metro In Greater Los Angeles, $1,500 rents less space than...

Two Days, Two Denials: Menendez Brothers Rejected for Parole

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Erik Denied After 10-Hour Hearing; Lyle Rebuffed the Next Day Erik Menendez, convicted along with his brother in the 1989...

Rob Reiner to Attend for ‘This is Spinal Tap’ as Cinespia Wraps Summer at Hollywood Forever

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Cinespia Closes Out Summer: Fan Favorites and DJs Return to Hollywood Forever Cinespia will close out summer with four outdoor...

Amber Alert for a Critical Missing Incident: Two Foster Brothers Abducted

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Police Seek Non-Custodial Mother Jackeline Hernandez-Torres The California Highway Patrol issued a statewide Amber Alert after two foster brothers, ages...

Culver City Police Seize Ghost Gun: Suspect Arrested After Traffic Stop

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Officers Uncover Untraceable Firearm With High-Capacity Magazine Police say a traffic stop near Prospect Avenue and Venice Boulevard resulted in...

Man Arrested After Burglary Report at Lionel Richie’s Beverly Hills Home

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Police Say the Singer Was Home When the Suspect Entered the Property One suspect was taken into custody early Friday...

Extreme Heat Warning Extended in L.A. County: Officials Urge Safety Precautions

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

National Weather Service Alerts Cover Valleys, Mountains, and Coastal Areas Dangerous heat is expected to persist through the weekend in...

Ex-Culver City Recreation Worker Indicted: Charged With Exploiting 7-Year-Old in Federal Case

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Prosecutors Say the Former After-School Employee Faces Child Pornography Charges Federal prosecutors say a former Culver City after-school employee has...

Jury Awards $3.8M to Man Injured by Rubber Bullet During 2020 George Floyd Protest in the Fairfax District

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Filmmaker Suffered Permanent Injuries After Being Struck by a Sheriff’s Deputy’s Round Los Angeles County must pay nearly $4 million...

LAPD Urges Possible Victims to Come Forward in Sexual Assault Case Linked to Social Media

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Suspect Arrested Aug. 20 on Suspicion of Forcible Rape Los Angeles police are asking for the public’s help in identifying...

Frozen Shrimp Recall Expanded to California After Radioactive Contamination Concerns

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025

Southwind Foods Adds California Shrimp Recall Tied to Possible Cesium-137 Exposure Southwind Foods, LLC is recalling select packages of frozen...

LAPD to Step Up DUI Enforcement With Weekend Checkpoints and Patrols

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025

Police Plan Multiple Operations Across Los Angeles August 22-24  The Los Angeles Police Department will operate a series of DUI...