The Beekeeper is a story of purging villainy in the name of justice. Adam Clay (Jason Statham) is enjoying retirement. He works on a farm for Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad) performing simple maintenance including caring for bees. One day, Eloise falls victim to a cyber scam. Unknowingly, she hands over control of her bank accounts to a shady organization aiming to profit off the elderly. What this faceless outlet did not count on was retribution and retaliation in the form of Clay. The Beekeeper decides to embark on one last mission of unrestrained violence to avenge Eloise. With extreme prejudice and without fear, Clay begins his quest to burn the scammers’ operations to the ground.
What works in The Beekeeper is the commitment to action absurdity in the name of entertainment. Director David Ayer (Suicide Squad, Fury) gleefully laughs away things like physics and logic at nearly every turn possible. Instead, he presents Clay as an indestructible one-man killing machine that can’t be stopped by anyone on the planet. And this works given how much Ayer leans into this premise. The Beekeeper proposes a social contract with the audience: accept that Statham is immortal and infallible when it comes to violence, and in return they’ll get to see him dispatch wave after wave of colorful villains in brutal fashion.
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Audiences uncomfortable with gratuitous gore may not enjoy The Beekeeper as much as others. The visuals hold nothing back as Clay’s kills become more elaborate. This might make some watchers justifiably uncomfortable if this form of “entertainment” is not their cup of tea. Furthermore (and as previously mentioned), The Beekeeper’s plot is unapologetically flimsy. People looking for anything with realistic characters, dialogue, or narrative arcs might seek another choice. Finally, the formula that The Beekeeper employs isn’t particularly novel for the well-established genre. It’s no less amusing, but there is very little ground being broken in the proceedings.
The Beekeeper is a very specific type of popcorn fodder. For those curious just how many ways Jason Statham can escape death, infiltrate security, and off individuals with everyday objects: this movie is for you. If that concept sounds weary at best and disturbing at worst, seek out another title.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Wrath of Man, Man on Fire, A Man Apart
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