Taylor Sheridan and Michael B. Jordan are both at the top of their game right now. The former has about a gazillion new shows coming out, and the latter is collecting awards by the boatload. It’s good to be them. It would also be good if they worked togeth… Wait! They already did. Sheridan wrote the 2021 action thriller movie, Without Remorse, starring Michael B. Jordan.
Without Remorse was directed by Stefano Sollima, who was also in charge of Sheridan’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Tom Clancy, the author better known for the Jack Ryan series of novels. Released in theaters by Paramount Pictures and on streaming by Prime Video, the movie has largely been forgotten. However, it offers quite the adrenaline rush and definitely deserves to be on everyone’s watchlist.
Revenge is the Agenda in ‘Without Remorse’… But there’s More Than That
Without Remorse is undoubtedly one of the grittiest and most atmospheric action movies of the 2020s, but it might tempt you to switch off your TV because it opens in the most clichéd way possible. The hero is seen enjoying life with his pregnant wife, all smiles and everything, until intruders show up and murder her. You’ve probably seen such a scene numerous times before, but the movie makes up for it by offering a solid explanation about why it all happened.
The widower is the elite Navy SEAL John Kelly (portrayed by Michael B. Jordan), and the people who just murdered his wife are Russian FSB operatives. They did it as retaliation for an earlier mission in which Kelly’s team obliterated a few agents belonging to Putin Land. But the thing runs deeper. After doing some more digging, Kelly discovers a deeper conspiracy involving high-ranking government officials.
Without Remorse was an important departure for Michael B. Jordan, allowing him to ditch the familiar nice guy screen persona that he had been consistently associated with because of the Creed movies. Here, the Sinners star plays a more layered and ambivalent hero, a flawed character who isn’t necessarily of dubious morality, but is willing to go to the depths of hell to inflict punishment. Sheridan must have enjoyed himself, too, taunting us with his characteristically cynical exploration of human nature. Avoiding the John Wick imitation style that action movies have become prone to, he crafted something that is unremittingly moving and tensely unpredictable.
Overall, Without Remorse doesn’t make any concessions to the faint-hearted viewer; it shoves into our faces the dangerous world of a hardened, neglected, and pained serviceman, as it should be portrayed, not as splendid, Chuck Norris-style fantasy, but as something that is chilling, ugly, and pitiless. Jordan’s solid performance (undoubtedly one of his best) is complemented by first-rate contributions from a fine supporting cast that includes Jodie Turner-Smith and Colman Domingo.
Keanu Reeves and Tom Hardy Almost Played John Kelly
A movie like Without Remorse can easily be ruined by casting an actor who lacks the simple rudiments of acting ability, failing to make the action hero remotely interesting… something like an unsightly, shapeless plaster on a neat wall. Thankfully, Michael B. Jordan got the job and dominated the proceedings as he should. Admittedly, some of the director’s stylistic techniques (notably the jarring editing) are sometimes irksome distractions, but you’ll hardly notice them because Jordan is as absorbed and unbending as ever, igniting the picture with unrivalled energy and panache.
Interestingly, Jordan wasn’t always first in line to play John Kelly. A 1994 Entertainment Weekly article reveals that Keanu Reeves was offered the role on a $7 million salary, but he declined. Laurence Fishburne and Gary Sinise were later attached to star, but script problems and budget constraints caused the film to languish in development hell for years. Christopher McQuarrie later teamed up with Paramount Pictures to direct the adaptation in 2012, with Tom Hardy as the preferred lead. This version never materialized either. Luckily, Jordan was cast in 2018.
It sure would have been interesting to see Reeves or Hardy as the lead, given their track record in the action genre, but Jordan has proven worthy of the responsibility. Better yet, he’ll be back. Per The Hollywood Reporter, a sequel is in development, with Chad Stahelski (better known for the John Wick movies) directing. Apparently, the plot will involve Kelly leading a multi-country anti-terrorist unit to stop a major international conspiracy.
Can’t wait!
