Adam Clay (Jason Statham) leads a quiet, rural life dedicated to beekeeping. His landlady, Mrs. Parker (Phylicia Rashad), falls victim to a phishing scam, losing two million dollars and tragically taking her own life. Consumed by grief and a thirst for justice, Clay embarks on a relentless quest for revenge, facing off against FBI agents, including the victim’s daughter (Emmy Raver-Lampman), and criminals entrenched in the highest echelons of American power. A former CIA agent (Jeremy Irons) warns his con artist son (Josh Hutcherson) that there’s more to Clay’s beekeeping hobby than meets the eye, hinting at a secret organization and suggesting that the retired operative will stop at nothing.
Jason Statham as Adam Clay in a still from “The Beekeeper”
Justice Served, Statham-Style
Fraud is punishable. If the law doesn’t deliver retribution, Statham’s fists and feet will. This is the straightforward, uncomplicated moral compass of “The Beekeeper,” David Ayer’s new film, which has the potential to be his best work since “Fury” and “End of Watch.” Its domestic box office success suggests a promising future for the Ayer-Statham partnership. Statham has clearly struck a chord with audiences, especially in Russia, where memes featuring the actor have spiraled into a cultural phenomenon. Despite the genre’s perceived decline, there’s still a strong appetite for no-holds-barred action. While “The Beekeeper” doesn’t reinvent the action genre (Statham has already kicked those doors down), it’s a welcome addition to the collection, like a jar of honey in the pantry.
Jeremy Irons as Wallace in a still from “The Beekeeper”
A Swarm of Action
It’s impossible to avoid beekeeping metaphors – they’re as ever-present as the equipment throughout the film’s runtime. Within the first 20 minutes, Ayer’s action film plunges the viewer into a humorous onslaught, rendering critical analysis futile. A solitary beekeeper seeks vengeance for a defrauded elderly woman, seemingly without any ulterior motive (thankfully avoiding tired tropes like a murdered wife, child, or dog). He’s willing to burn down call centers filled with villains and repeatedly remind everyone that he’s a beekeeper out to punish the “hornets.” The escalating absurdity leads to the revelation that the “hornets” are high-ranking officials, and the gunfights and knife fights eventually spill into the White House. Special forces are deployed against Statham, firing turret-mounted weapons, but he’s more than capable of handling them with his fists, knives, and ropes.
Jason Statham as Adam Clay in a still from “The Beekeeper”
Political Scandals and Bee Puns
The script of “The Beekeeper” is pollinated with dark allusions to American political scandals, seemingly melting down the most controversial content of the past decade into an absurdist narrative. The villainous family, for example, uses fraudulent money to fund a presidential campaign (led by Gemma Redgrave, who bears a striking resemblance to Hillary Clinton). IT specialists, with their power and access to data, are portrayed as a scourge on society, while the crimes of the son are covered up by a former agent played by Jeremy Irons. Even he realizes that the end is near and the buzzing won’t last long – the beekeeper is coming.
Self-Awareness and B-Movie Charm
The unwavering strength of this high-octane spectacle is its inherent self-awareness, which acts as a superglue holding together the insane structure of gunfire, fights, ridiculous puns, and plot twists that are no better (or worse) than “Black Dynamite.” Ayer genuinely strives to create an exemplary “B-movie” (both as a category of quality and as a reference to bees). The actors maintain a straight face even when another absurd line (“family is a hive, you could say”) threatens to break them into laughter. Ayer had the courage to make a film about a combat beekeeper, Statham to maintain his status as the genre’s top apiarist, and everyone else to be scattered to the waxen combs. This is “John Wick” cast in an amber honey glow. Whether the viewer laughs, rages, or buzzes is irrelevant – Statham will have the last word.