Malaysian cinemas have certainly been taken for a ride these past few months, with weeks of closure coming to a much-desired end not too long ago.

And now, with the MCO back in place in six of Selangor’s districts, cinemas will be forced to shutter once more and hopefully, survive this difficult time.

In other states though, cinema-going is still very much allowed so if you’re undecided on what to watch this week, one film has quietly rolled in — starring none other than Angelina Jolie.

Ah, Angelina Jolie. Just the mention of her name used to be able to send hearts aflutter.

Not that she still doesn’t, as she has certainly aged with grace and her acting capabilities remain as good as ever.

This can be seen in her latest cinematic outing, ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’, based on Michael Koryta’s novel of the same name.

From the trailers and posters, one might end up thinking that this movie is another one of those disaster films about forest fires.

In actuality, there are more than just forest fires to worry about, as the plot includes a political conspiracy, assassinations and gunfights.

Despite Jolie being featured at the forefront of the film’s advertising, her character is just one of many central to the plot.

The plot centres on a forensic accountant’s discovery of some shady political dealings which puts him in the sights of professional assassins.

Though he fails to survive, he passes on his secrets to his young son who has to make his way through the thick forests of Montana with the help of a veteran firefighter, played by Jolie.

And to make things more complicated, the assassins set fire to the forest, forcing the boy and the firefighter to either face a pair of murderers or the hungry flames.

If there’s anything one will notice about this film, it’s probably the star-studded cast that includes talents like Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen, Tyler Perry and Jon Bernthal.

Each actor plays their role immaculately enough, and special mention has to go out to Hoult, who is rarely seen in a villainous role but plays one here with surprising ruthlessness.

Jolie, on the other hand, plays a veteran firefighter who has been assigned to a fire tower ever since a traumatic incident in which she failed to correctly anticipate the lethality of a forest fire.

The opening of the film may be a little confusing for some audience members, as the film starts off by following around Jolie, whose character is still haunted by nightmares of that experience.

And shortly after, the film skips over to Florida, where a house explodes and it becomes clear that some forms of criminal shenanigans are going on.

These two subplots don’t seem remotely connected, but once the threads start to meet, the film starts to pick up its pace and begins charging toward an exciting climax.

Given that the film largely takes place in the thick rolling forests of central United States, it’s no surprise that the film has many beautiful shots awaiting the audience.

The film would serve neatly as a tourism advertisement for Montana, that is if they removed the part about assassins chasing a young boy through the trees and the deadly forest fire.

Speaking of the forest fire, one really must wonder how the film was made without actually setting an entire forest ablaze and causing a natural disaster.

This is probably a testament to the quality of the CGI, which perfectly depicts the destructive wall of heat that are forest fires and how one would be wise to stay as far away as possible.

However, one scene of the fire does suggest that the flames can travel as fast as a full-grown adult running at full speed, which does seem a little unrealistic.

Then again, nature is unpredictable and fire is obviously dangerous, so perhaps the speed at which the fire spread is not unrealistic at all.

The score by Brian Tyler helps to accentuate the tension in these types of scenes, sending one’s heart into palpitations as one wonders whether the characters will survive the crisis in one piece.

In general, ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ is a well-crafted piece of cinema that does everything it wants and leaves the audience wanting for little.

While not particularly groundbreaking in any sense, it is still a good film with a competent direction, a capable cast and an intriguing storyline that is easy to be invested in.

So, if you’re outside Selangor, don’t forget to catch this film in cinemas now, and if you happen to be in Selangor, it seems like the wait for new cinematic releases has to go on for a little longer.

‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ will play in Malaysian cinemas starting from May 13.