Movie Reviews: 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' And 'Army Of The Dead'

This weekend, thrillers dominate the new releases headed to theaters and streaming services.

In the action thriller "Those Who Wish Me Dead," Angelina Jolie returns to the big screen as a Montana woodlands firefighter plagued with a guilt-ridden past. In her path to redemption, she stumbles upon a frantic boy (Finn Little) running for his life.

Looking for a zombie-heist thriller? Look no further than "Army of the Dead," starring Dave Bautista as a former zombie mercenary tasked to breach the walls of a zombie-infested city to retrieve the hefty cash sitting in a casino vault.

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Here's what to see/stream and what to skip this weekend:

“Those Who Wish Me Dead” — Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult; directed by Taylor Sheridan (also available on HBO Max on May 14)

Michael Koryta’s 2014 bestseller comes to life in Taylor Sheridan’s survival thriller about a woman in search of redemption. The film stars Angelina Jolie as smokejumper Hannah, a Montana woodlands firefighter who skydives into wildland infernos to extinguish blazes.

Lightning strikes. Hot-zone aerial acrobatics. Forest wildfires. A panoramic view of the Montana landscape. Amid this cinematic concoction of firefighting thrills is Hannah’s tormenting past — a tragic forest fire she failed to prevent, claiming the lives of three young boys. Over the years, she has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is as if her life were in an endless loop of consuming pain and sadness.

Meanwhile, seemingly, her path to redemption is about to appear when she stumbles upon Connor (Finn Little), a scared, bloodied 12-year-old boy frantically plodding through the wilderness. His life is apparently in danger.

It won’t be long before our heroine leaps into action as she audaciously tries to save Connor from two lethal assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult).

Will Hannah and Connor prevail, and will she finally be free from her agonizing guilt?

See/Stream it. High-wattage action star Jolie is a must-see in Sheridan’s action-packed thriller. However, the film sometimes languishes in plotholes and its lack of character development.

Watch the trailer:

“Army of the Dead” — Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell; directed by Zack Snyder (also available on Netflix on May 21)

Zack Snyder returns to the land of the dead, paying homage to his 2004 feature directorial debut, a remake of the George A. Romero’s zombie classic, “Dawn of the Dead.” However, this time around, a daring heist enters the picture.

In the movie, Las Vegas is now a walled, zombie-infested city. Meanwhile, our hero, Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a former zombie killer-turned burger-flipping extraordinaire, accepts a very lucrative offer to retrieve the $200 million worth of cash sitting in a casino vault. In exchange, he will be rewarded handsomely with $50 million for the job.

Soon, he and his bestie, Maria Cruz (Ana de la Reguera), assemble their motley crew of specialists and survivalists who will have to breach the unforgiving Vegas walls. But before then, they will have to talk the zombie talk and walk the zombie walk — to ensure everyone is up to par when they navigate the zombie world.

Will they succeed in the end?

See/Stream it. Simply put, the film is silly yet appealing.

Watch the trailer: