The latest collaboration between Jason Statham and David Ayer, A Working Man, takes notes from other one-man-army movies like Taken and John Wick in a fun adaptation of Chuck Dixon’s 2014 novel Levon’s Trade. A Working Man debuted to positive Rotten Tomatoes scores, continuing a H๏τ streak for star Jason Statham, and while it won’t be getting any Oscar nominations, it’s a well-executed iteration of Statham’s typical action fare. It also stars Michael Peña and David Harbour, while Sylvester Stallone developed the screenplay with Ayer and acts as a producer on the movie.

Like several of Statham’s characters, Levon Cade works a new profession despite a decorated past as an elite paramilitary soldier. In A Working Man, he is a much-loved construction crew chief who works for a family-focused businessman (Peña) to whom he is loyal, and who is aware of his professional background. He is called into action when his boss’ daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers, and he begins to slash, punch, and shoot his way through a local sect of the Russian Mafia in pursuit of information.

However, as he manipulates and mows down mobsters, he provokes the wrath of the Brotherhood, the greater Mafia enтιтy that oversees the trafficking and drug operations that Levon has disrupted. That prompts them to send their own maniacal hitmen after him, leading to a showdown between Levon and the combined might of the local dealers and hitmen at the trap house where his boss’ daughter is being held.

Why The Brotherhood Let Levon Live

Despite Killing Many Henchmen, Leon Is Allowed To Leave With Jenny

As Leon indiscriminately killed his way through the mobsters, he disrupted the overall business of the local Mafia sect. While he was not shy about only being after Jenny Garcia, played by Arianna Rivas, he killed enough low-level and mid-level henchmen to warrant the attention of the Brotherhood leadership. It was their decision to send Nestor and Karp, the two trench-coat-clad ᴀssᴀssins, after Levon; they are the ones who track his idenтιтy and tie him back to his father-in-law’s house, which they burn down in an attempt to draw him out.

However, once the former military man kills not only the two hitmen at the trap house but everyone else ᴀssociated with the Russian mobsters, the Brotherhood tells Yuri over the phone to let Levon go. Now that he had rescued the girl he was after, there was no reason to pursue him any further. There is no money in vengeance, especially with someone who has proven to be as dangerous as Levon, so it was in the organization’s best interest to let Levon live in peace as opposed to “erasing his entire bloodline”, as Levon was once threatened.

Why Yuri Still Wants To Go After Levon

The Mob Boss Has Vengeance On His Mind

In the course of Levon’s rampage, he manages to kill an inordinate number of criminals of various status. Several that he kills, including the underboss he slaps and drowns in his own pool (Jason Flemyng) and the two thugs who he kills in the back of the van, were directly related to Yuri (his brother and sons, to be specific). In the final scenes of A Working Man, Yuri lets the Brotherhood leadership know that he still intends to go after Levon in order to avenge his ᴅᴇᴀᴅ family members, and follow through on killing Levon and those he loves.

Why Was Jenny Garcia Kidnapped?

Hers Was A Targeted Abduction

The unusual modus operandi of Dimi’s trafficking operation led to Jenny’s kidnapping. Viper and Artemis are responsible for taking pictures and videos of young girls at the club where Jenny and her friends were partying, and they send those images to prospective buyers who choose the girls that they want. From there, Viper and Artemis execute the abduction quietly, and the girls disappear.

Jenny was selected by the slovenly Mr. Broward, who noted that she reminded him of a woman he had seen in a painting. That was the only reason–it had nothing to do with her father, his business, or any other significant connection. Fortunately, Jenny was able to fight Broward off in their first encounter by biting his face and disfiguring him, and Broward was killed by Levon before he ever got a second chance to torment her.

How The Ending Of A Working Man Sets Up A Sequel

Levon Made At Least One Powerful Enemy

The novel that A Working Man is based off of is actually part of Chuck Dixon’s series that follows Levon Cade’s exploits, not unlike Lee Childs’ Jack Reacher series. There is plenty of other source material to work from if A Working Man ends up being a significant enough hit at the box office to warrant a sequel. While that was the case with Ayer and Statham’s previous action movie, The Beekeeper, it remains to be seen if A Working Man will land similarly with audiences.

A Working Man did already sow the seeds of a franchise, fortunately. While the Brotherhood may want nothing more to do with Levon Cade, Yuri is clearly still out for blood. It seems fairly obvious that a direct sequel to A Working Man would focus on Yuri’s pursuit of Levon Cade. It seems a given that he will try to go after his daughter Merry as well, given that Levon killed his sons and his brother.

What The Director Has Said About The Ending Of A Working Man

Ayer Put Emphasis On The Characters

In an interview with ScreenRant, writer/director David Ayer detailed exactly what sets A Working Man apart from similar action adventures. Per Ayer, giving Levon an emotional, familial connection to realistic characters is what makes the entire movie special. As the director noted, “…to give him an emotional motivation, to give him this adopted family that’s taken care of him that he can then return the favor and take care of, I mean, that’s the movie for me.”

Ayer also spoke about the potential future of the franchise, specifically that Levon Cade may have “unfinished business”, in a clear reference to Yuri’s pending vengeance. He also hinted at his own interest in David Harbour’s side character Gunny, the blind former teammate of Levon who acts as his “weapons sommelier” in A Working Man. While nothing has been announced yet of course, Ayer mentioned that a sequel or prequel with a larger focus on Gunny could be interesting.

The Real Meaning Of A Working Man

The Movie Isn’t Overly Deep Or Profound

While some genre films are metaphorical in communicating themes, A Working Man is like similar action movies in that there isn’t much depth. Loyalty to one’s family is a common thread, and the idea that family comes in all forms; Levon considers Gunny his brother because they served together, while he considers the Garcias his family because they took a chance on him and gave him a way to make a living despite his former career path and related trauma. That familial allegiance drives Levon in A Working Man, and is set up to drive Yuri in a potential sequel.