The Bricklayer (2023). A disillusioned ex-CIA operative builds a wall to separate his current life from the one he left behind until his past smashes through like a wrecking ball.

The story attempts to build a substantial, load-bearing base only to come across as a static barrier blocking the viewer’s enjoyment. The plot is often heavy and dense, layered too high in a few spots.

Much of the movie feels like watching mortar set. However, the action is this movie’s strongest foundation. It hits like watching a stonecutter splitting a massive slab, the story hammering away with not much to show, until you’re rewarded with a sharp, precise, and impressive execution.


With a more streamlined pace, moving from action to action, this could have been a worthy peer to John Wick or the Equalizer. Instead, it’s weighed down by its own ambitions, giving us: John Brick. 🧱

Rating: 3 out of 5 layers high, during a 1h 50m shift.