Introduction

Wrath of Man is a 2021 action thriller film directed by Guy Ritchie, from a script he co-wrote with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, and is loosely based on the 2004 French film Cash Truck by Nicolas Boukhrief.

• 

• 

• 

Outline

Patrick Hill begins work at Fortico Security, an armoured truck company. After being commended by the superior Terry for his references, he is introduced to Bullet, who nicknames him “H” and oversees his training. H gets off to a rocky start with his colleagues, particularly Boy Sweat Dave, over his mysterious nature.

One day, Bullet is taken hostage during a drop and the kidnappers demand the $2 million in their truck. When H and Dave meet the kidnappers, H easily dispatches them with expert marksmanship. During a later attack on H’s truck, he steps out when the truck is flooded with tear gas, at which point the robbers retreat on seeing him. H later sleeps with co-worker Dana Curtis and holds her at gunpoint to interrogate her about a private cash stash he finds. She claims she stole money once from a liquor store for retirement savings, but insists it was the only time. H spares her life, but threatens further repercussions if he learns she is withholding further information.

Five months earlier, H is out with his son Dougie when he reluctantly agrees to a call asking him to help with the recon of an armoured truck for a robbery. H stops on the other side of the bridge from the armoured truck depot, and asks Dougie to wait in the car while he goes to a food truck by the depot. He calls to reveal the location of the truck as he gets food, but as the truck goes under the bridge, it is attacked by a different group of thieves dressed as construction workers, who kill the guards as well as Dougie for being a witness. When H runs toward them, he is gunned down as well, but survives.

H is then revealed to be Hargreaves, the boss of a crime syndicate; the syndicate’s members were the men who made the second attack on H’s truck. After Dougie’s mother holds H responsible for Dougie’s death and leaves, H demands to find the men responsible. After exhausting a list of suspects, and coming up with no possible leads, Hargreaves’ associate suggests that the robbery was an inside job. H says he will fly back to London to clear his mind, but actually arranges a local contact, Kirsty, to provide him with the forged identity of Patrick Hill, as well as the autopsy report of Dougie’s death.

The thieves of the construction job are a former military platoon, commanded by Jackson, along with a man named Jan who killed the guards and Dougie. Struggling to make ends meet, the group decides to start stealing money in increasingly ambitious heists planned in great detail by Jackson and Tom, while maintaining the façade of normal lives with families, except for Jan. They first attempt to steal from a wealthy man for whom their fellow ex-soldier Carlos works as security, but come up with only a few hundred thousand dollars. They then resolve to utilise contacts in armoured truck companies to steal millions of dollars. When they are given the Fortico heist, Jan kills the guards and Dougie against the wishes of the rest of the team.

Some months later, Jackson and Tom bring the team together for a much larger but riskier final heist to steal over $150 million from the Fortico depot on Black Friday. H and Bullet are riding together when Bullet reveals he is the thieves’ insider, and asks H to cooperate to avoid death. The thieves, dressed in full body armour, hide in the truck to gain access into the depot and begin taking hostages, including Terry and Dave. One worker triggers the alarm and the workers behind the weapons desk begin shooting at the thieves, but are easily dispatched. H chokes Carlos and takes his body armour to fight back, inspiring Dave to do the same while Terry hides. Realising they may not make it out, Bullet breaks his cover and kills Dave, Dana, and the remaining guards and shoots H. Bullet, Jackson, and Jan are the only ones to make it out of the depot, though Jackson is critically wounded. They evade police and make it to a garage where they have access to underground tunnels. Believing Jan will try to kill them, Jackson takes out a pistol, but Jan stops him and slits his throat. When Jan and Bullet make it to the end of the tunnel, Bullet takes out a gun to try to kill Jan, but Jan kills him first. Jan successfully makes away with all the money before the police can deduce what happened.

At Jan’s apartment, he finds a phone ringing in one of the money bags, which was planted there by H to track his location. H confronts Jan with Dougie’s autopsy before shooting him in the same places Dougie was shot, killing him. H turns in the money to his FBI contact and drives off with one of his associates.

Cast

• Jason Statham as Patrick “H” Hill/Hargreaves.
• Holt McCallany as Haiden “Bullet” Blaire.
• Rocci Williams as “Hollow” Bob Martin.
• Jeffrey Donovan as Jackson.
• Josh Hartnett as “Boy Sweat” Dave Hancock.
• Scott Eastwood as Jan.
• Andy García as Agent King.
• DeObia Oparei as Brad.
• Laz Alonso as Carlos.
• Raúl Castillo as Sam.
• Chris Reilly as Tom.
• Eddie Marsan as Terry.
• Niamh Algar as Dana Curtis.
• Darrell D’Silva as Mike.
• Babs Olusanmokun as Moggy.
• Josh Cowdery as FBI Agent Hubbard.
• Rob Delaney as Boss Blake Halls.
• Lyne Renée as Kirsty.
• Post Malone as a Robber.
• Gerald Tyler as Armourer.
• Eli Brown as Dougie.

Production

It was announced in October 2019 that Guy Ritchie was writing and directing an English-language remake of the 2004 film Cash Truck, with Jason Statham set to star. Holt McCallany joined later in the month. Filming began in November between Los Angeles and London, with Scott Eastwood, Jeffrey Donovan, Laz Alonso, Josh Hartnett and Niamh Algar added to the cast, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer taking on US domestic distribution for the film. In January 2020, Raúl Castillo was added to the cast.

Christopher Benstead, who previously worked with the director on The Gentlemen, composed the film score. Sony Classical released the soundtrack on 07 May 2021, coinciding with the film’s release.

Release

The film was released internationally in several countries, beginning on 22 April 2021, including Russia, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany. It was later released in the US on 07 May 2021. It is set to be released in China on 10 May. The film was originally set for release in the US on 15 January but was pulled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later rescheduled for 23 April before being pushed to 07 May.

Box Office

As of 27 May 2021, Wrath of Man has grossed $20 million in the US and Canada, and $52.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $72.2 million.

In the US, the film made $3 million from 2,875 theatres on its first day of release, including $500,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $8.1 million, topping the box office. Men made up 60% of the overall audience, with 72% being over the age of 25. In its second weekend the film dropped 55% to $3.7 million, finishing second behind newcomer Spiral.

In the film’s opening weekend in Australia, it has grossed $1.34 million. It also made $201,000 in New Zealand and $3.79 million in Russia. In its third weekend of international release the film made $13.5 million, as well as $18.5 million in its Chinese opening weekend.

Trivia

• It is Ritchie’s fourth directorial collaboration with lead actor Jason Statham, and first since Revolver (2005).
• In early development of this film, Sandra Bullock was attached to star.
• The film’s teaser poster is the first to feature the new print logo for MGM (in the form of its monogram minus Leo the Lion) following the studio’s March 2021 rebrand.
• The filming location of the armoured car company (635 Mateo st LA) was also used as a police station in the 1988 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Red Heat”.
• When Tom and Jackson are planning the final getaway. The last part after using the quads after the tunnel, Tom says the money will be loaded onto the “Silver Prius”.
  • But when Jan is the final member to escape, it is a Black Prius not Silver that he uses to get away.
• The black Cadillac Escalade the armoured car robbers drive changes from an 2007 (Escalade emblem on left/drivers side of rear hatch) to a later model Escalade (Escalade emblem on right/passenger side of rear hatch) several times.
  • The 2007 Escalade was the only year that Cadillac had the emblem of the left.
  • All the rest of the years in that generation of Escalade had them on the right.
• At the end of the movie, H (Statham) tells Jan he wants his Liver before proceeding to shoot him on the left side of the abdomen.
  • The liver is located on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen and not the left.
• The armed robbers demand (twice) that the money be tossed “on the flatbed,” but there is no flatbed truck on site, only two pickup trucks.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Guy Ritchie.
• Producer(s):
  • Ivan Atkinson … producer (produced by).
  • Bill Block … producer (produced by).
  • Andrew Golov … executive producer / producer.
  • Jack Ivins … associate producer.
  • Max Keene … co-producer.
  • Louise Killin … line producer.
  • Bob Osher … executive producer.
  • Guy Ritchie … producer (produced by).
  • Joshua Throne … executive producer.
• Writer(s):
  • Nicolas Boukhrief … (written by).
  • Éric Besnard … (written by).
  • Guy Ritchie … (screenplay by).
  • Marn Davies … (screenplay by).
  • Ivan Atkinson … (screenplay by).
• Music:
  • Christopher Benstead.
• Cinematography:
  • Alan Stewart.
• Editor(s):
  • James Herbert.
• Production:
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
  • Miramax.
  • CAA Media Finance.
  • Flic Films UK.
  • Toff Guy Films.
• Distributor(s):
  • Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2021) (Switzerland) (theatrical).
  • DeAPlaneta (2021) (Spain) (theatrical).
  • Digicine (2021) (Argentina) (theatrical).
  • Eagle Films (2021) (Lebanon) (theatrical).
  • Encore Films (2021) (Singapore) (theatrical).
  • Golden Village Pictures (2021) (Singapore) (theatrical).
  • JL Vision Film (2021) (China) (theatrical).
  • Joyncontents Group (2021) (South Korea) (theatrical).
  • Leone Film Group (2021) (Italy) (theatrical).
  • Lionsgate UK (2021) (UK) (theatrical).
  • Lionsgate (2021) (Ireland) (theatrical).
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2021) (USA) (theatrical).
  • Metropolitan Filmexport (2021) (France) (theatrical).
  • Movie Cloud (2021) (Taiwan) (theatrical).
  • StudioCanal Germany (2021) (Germany) (theatrical).
  • StudioCanal (2021) (Australia) (theatrical).
  • The Klockworx (2021) (Japan) (theatrical).
  • The Searchers (2021) (Netherlands) (theatrical).
  • United Artists Releasing (2021) (USA) (theatrical).
  • United International Pictures (UIP) (2021) (Argentina) (theatrical).
  • Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2021) (Mexico) (theatrical).
  • Universal Pictures (2021) (Brazil) (theatrical).
  • VVS Films (2021) (Canada) (theatrical).
  • Vertical Entertainment (2021) (Czech Republic) (theatrical).
  • Vertical Entertainment (2021) (Romania) (theatrical).
  • Volga Film Ukraine (2021) (Ukraine) (theatrical).
  • Volga (2021) (Russia) (theatrical).
  • Pris Audiovisuais (2021) (Portugal) (all media).
  • Remain In Light (2021) (Belgium) (DVD).
  • The Filmbridge (2021) (Mongolia) (all media).
  • The Searchers (2021) (Belgium) (all media).
• Release Date: 22 April 2021 (Russia) and 07 May 2021 (US).
• Rating: 15.
• Running Time: 119 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link