After falling short ofThe Beekeeperboth critically and commercially,Jason Statham’s latest film,A Working Man, is also trailing it in terms of audience response. The action movie debuted theatrically on Friday, and currently finds itself in a tight race for the top spot on the domestic box office charts with the holdover releaseSnow White. The movie’s mixed reviews are certainly playing a key role in its performance, and it would appear that its future is also in jeopardy, based on how opening day audiences have reacted to it.
According to the polling platform CinemaScore, which tabulates how likely a viewer is to recommend a given film to others,A Working Manearned a so-so B grade. This is under the B+ thatThe Beekeeperdebuted with just last year, but on par with the grade earned by the firstJohn Wickmovie around a decade ago. BothThe BeekeeperandJohn Wickare broadly considered to be hits; whileKeanu Reeves' film has now spawned a proper franchise,The Beekeeperdefied the odds to gross over $150 million worldwide, and is set to receive a sequel of its own. It also holds a “fresh” 71% approval rating on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.
By comparison,A Working Manholds a “rotten” 53%Rotten Tomatoesscore. The film’s B grade on CinemaScore isn’t ideal, considering that audiences are typically quite lenient with R-rated action movies. For instance, it’s under the A- that they gave Statham’s 2021 hit,Wrath of Man, which made over $100 million worldwide. It’s also underThe Meg, which remains Statham’s biggest hit as a leading man, with over $500 million at the global box office. Comparable films such asMonkey Man,Bullet Train, andThe Gentlemenall earned superior B+ grades on CinemaScore.
‘A Working Man’ Opened to Mixed Reviews
It is common for higher-scoring films to perform better at the box office, while movies that earn lower grades tend to taper off.A Working Manis eying around $13 million in its first weekend, which is below the $16 million thatThe Beekeeperdebuted with last year. Directed byDavid Ayer, the movie earneda positive reviewfrom Collider’sNate Richard, who described it as “the kind of throwback to the action movies of the late-80s and early-90s that will have both your inner-action buff and your Dad hooting and hollering in the theater.” Also featuringMichael PeñaandDavid Harbour, the movie is playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
A Working Man
Based on the book series by Chuck Dixon, A Working Man is an action-thriller directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham as the titular hero. Levon Cade (Statham) left his “profession” behind to live a simple life working construction and spending time with his daughter. But when his boss’s teenage daughter vanishes, he’s called upon to re-employ the skills that made him a legendary figure in the shadowy world of black ops. Levon’s hunt for the missing college student takes him to the heart of a sinister criminal conspiracy creating a chain reaction that will threaten his new way of life.
