Critics’ reviews

A Working Man (2025)

21 reviews from 21 publications. Critics’ score 43: 2 positive, 7 mixed, 12 negative.

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43
Positive
2
Mixed
7
Negative
12

Most critics find A Working Man a familiar, disappointing action vehicle, though Jason Statham’s screen presence earns praise even in several unfavourable reviews. His physical assurance and menace remain dependable attractions, with some critics also finding welcome humour and vulnerability in his performance. Supporting performances provide further relief: David Harbour’s amusing turn and Arianna Rivas’s ability to give Jenny some personality draw repeated approval.

The reservations centre on predictable plotting, repetition and a solemn tone that makes the absurdity harder to enjoy. Several reviews find the film overlong, while the fights divide critics between those who enjoy their blunt force and those who find them flat or unimaginative. The spread is wide. Vulture offers the clearest dissent, celebrating the imaginative violence and unexpected feeling; The Hollywood Reporter finds the formula effective despite its length. Elsewhere, occasional comic flourishes rarely compensate for the familiar storytelling.

Vulture
28 March 2025 · Bilge Ebiri
75*

Ebiri finds the film an exuberant, visually enchanting celebration of action, with a more emotional undercurrent than expected. He especially praises Jason Statham’s comic, menacing screen presence and the film’s imaginative, fairy-tale-like violence.

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The Hollywood Reporter
26 March 2025 · Frank Scheck
70*

Scheck finds the actioner formulaic but effective, with some repetitiveness and an overlong runtime. He singles out Jason Statham’s simmering charisma and David Harbour’s distinctive, amusing performance as highlights.

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RogerEbert.com
64*

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The New York Times
64*

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IndieWire
26 March 2025 · C+ · David Ehrlich
63

Ehrlich finds the film absurd, sloppy action schlock that nonetheless works as a vehicle for Jason Statham’s screen persona. He praises the colorful supporting cast and the softer, more vulnerable dimension of Statham’s performance.

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Screen Daily
26 March 2025 · Tim Grierson
50*

Grierson describes the film as a workmanlike actioner, suggesting a competent but unexceptional verdict. The headline foregrounds Statham’s action performance, while the standfirst notes Stallone’s co-writing credit.

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Little White Lies
26 March 2025 · 2/2/1 · Hannah Strong
40

Strong dismisses the film as a forgettable, humourless action slog. She singles out its baffling human-trafficking plot and repetitive violence as evidence of its weak storytelling.

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Radio Times
★★ · Terry Staunton
40

The critic calls it a pedestrian, overlong thriller. They fault its predictable plotting and unimaginative action choreography.

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Slant Magazine
26 March 2025 · ★½/4 · Derek Smith
38

Smith argues the film is a monotonous, politically retrograde entry that fails to stand out among revenge films. He criticizes its treatment of PTSD and praises occasional flashes of camp and humor.

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Los Angeles Times
27 March 2025 · Amy Nicholson
30*

Nicholson finds the film an uneven mix of solemnity and outlandish visual quirks, with its construction-worker premise quickly giving way to familiar special-ops violence. She praises Arianna Rivas for giving the kidnapped Jenny an active role and playing the improbable character with aplomb.

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The Guardian
30 March 2025 · Wendy Ide
30*

Ide finds the film’s action entertaining but says its humor is buried beneath an overly serious tone. She particularly faults the ponderous dialogue and David Ayer’s portentous direction.

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Variety
26 March 2025 · Peter Debruge
30*

Debruge calls the film a competently made but forgettable rehash that relies on familiar vigilante-action formulas. He singles out Statham’s physicality and quick thinking as effective within that routine setup.

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The AV Club
26 March 2025 · Brianna Zigler
25*

Zigler finds the film tiresome, overlong, and too predictable to deliver the dumb fun it seems to promise. She singles out occasional absurd comic moments and satisfying fight choreography as brief bright spots.

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Time Out
27 March 2025 · Christina Newland
20*

The review is strongly negative, calling the action thriller dopey and weighed down by clichés. It singles out the film’s chopped-up storytelling and familiar action-movie tropes as weaknesses.

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Empire
26 March 2025 · John Nugent
15*

The critic finds the film witless, tedious, and devoid of fun. Statham remains convincing on screen, but the flat action and frantic editing undermine the experience.

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Eye for Film
2 May 2025 · Andrew Robertson
55*

Robertson finds the film more enjoyable and less regressive than its source novel, though it remains a derivative action picture. He praises Arianna Rivas for turning the missing-girl character into a person, while finding much of the action pedestrian.

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Deadline
26 March 2025 · Pete Hammond
50*

Hammond finds the film a familiar, tightly paced Statham action vehicle with little depth, but says the star remains eminently watchable. He praises David Harbour’s brief change of pace as Gunny and notes that newcomer Arianna Rivas does well as Jenny.

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/Film
26 March 2025 · 5 out of 10 · Jeremy Mathai
50*

The critic finds the film a disappointing, generic action movie that falls short of its potential. They praise David Harbour’s brief supporting turn and the film’s gonzo final act for bringing welcome warmth and levity.

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HeyUGuys
35*

The critic finds the film entertaining for fans of blunt action but ultimately hollow and lacking substance. The raw fight choreography earns praise, while the screenplay’s tough-guy dialogue is singled out for ridicule.

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The Wrap
28 March 2025
30*

The critic finds the film formulaic and less entertaining than its predecessor. They praise the costumes and Michael Peña’s presence, while faulting the pacing and familiar action-story beats.

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Digital Spy
26 March 2025 · Ian Sandwell
25*

The review finds the thriller dull, overlong, and tonally unconvincing, with its convoluted mob subplot dragging down the story. It praises the entertaining finale, where Statham’s action finally livens things up.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate