The Beekeeper (2024) is directed by David Ayer and stars Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Bobby Naderi, Jemma Redgrave, Taylor James, and David Witts. The film follows Adam Clay (Statham), a seemingly ordinary beekeeper who forms a mother-son relationship with an elderly woman who allows him to work on her property. After the woman falls victim to a scam that empties her bank accounts, she takes her own life out of grief. Seeking revenge, Clay sets out on a mission to bring those responsible to justice. The thing is, Clay is no ordinary beekeeper. “Beekeeper” is actually a codename for a classified organization of specialists who take action when the law fails to do so. Clay proceeds to stop at nothing to find those responsible, leaving a slew of bodies in his path. 

Statham doesn’t do anything new here, but when a person buys a ticket to a Jason Statham action movie, they expect a certain type of performance. In that sense, Statham delivers. Emmy Raver-Lampan plays your typical FBI agent character who is pursuing Clay throughout the film. It is a pretty standard performance, but Raver-Lampan is able to add a certain level of aloofness that gives the character enough nuance to be enjoyable. Jeremy Irons is fun as the advisor to the main villain character. It is a standard role, but an actor like Irons is able to elevate things. Josh Hutcherson is fun as the annoying Gen-Z villain character. He never really sinks into the role and chews the scenery the way I wanted, but it was nice to see him play against type. The standout here is a small henchman role played by Taylor James. He adds a thick South African accent and acts like an unhinged lunatic. Likewise, he’s dressed up in a colorful outfit that seems more appropriate for a rave than a cross-country manhunt. Love or hate director David Ayer, one of his biggest strengths seems to be visually fleshing out smaller characters. It’s very efficient and feels like we’re getting more strong character work than we actually are. This strategy works great in the action genre specifically. 

The film’s structure isn’t anything new and borrows heavily (like a lot of modern action films) from John Wick (2014). However, the film rarely feels like a cynical retread. It adds an element of eighties action movie cheese that makes it a unique experience. If you thought the trailer looked silly, that’s kind of the point. The film balances its elements of action and cheesiness so well that it ends up being a ton of fun. Likewise, the film doesn’t ask a lot of its audience in terms of thought. In this case, I think that’s a great choice. It doesn’t ever dwell on the sometimes questionable morals of Clay, resulting in something you can just take a face value. It’s an easy watch that flies by. 

Overall, this is a film I really don’t have too much to say about. Any glaring flaws the film might have simultaneously support the sort of easy-going and silly tone the film is intentionally going for. It’s a lot of fun, but I don’t see people talking about it for years to come. One of my favorite aspects of the film is its use of anything and everything that relates to bees. As noted in the film’s trailer, “Honey is flammable as f***, who knew?” Appropriately, I’m going to give The Beekeeper a solid: B