Director David Ayer, renowned for his work on Suicide Squad, has achieved a new milestone with his latest film, The Beekeeper, cbr.com reports. The action-packed thriller, starring Jason Statham as a former special agent turned beekeeper, has garnered significant attention for its remarkable success on Rotten Tomatoes.
At its debut, The Beekeeper received a 67% fresh rating on the Tomatometer, with reviews described as mostly positive but somewhat mixed. However, the film has truly resonated with audiences, boasting an impressive 92% fresh audience score, marking the highest ever for a movie directed by David Ayer on the review aggregator platform.
Kurt Wimmer, the writer behind Expend4bles, crafted the screenplay for The Beekeeper. The star-studded cast includes Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Minnie Driver, Phylicia Rashad and Jeremy Irons. The narrative follows Statham’s character, a retired special agent turned beekeeper, who is compelled to use his skills for vengeance when his landlord becomes a target of a criminal organisation.
Ayer, expressing enthusiasm for working with Statham, stated, “I’ve always been interested in working with Jason. I just saw so much potential and ability in him as an actor.” The director highlighted the script’s alignment with the action films he admired in his youth, such as 48 Hrs., Beverly Hills Cop and Die Hard.
While critics have offered mixed reviews, audience reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Chris Bumbray of JoBlo’s Movie Network praised it as “way better than you think it is,” and Thom Ernst of Original Cin dubbed it “relentlessly entertaining.” J Hurtado of ScreenAnarchy went further, calling it a “marvel of economical bombast” and an early contender for the best action film of the year.
The Beekeeper is currently playing in theatres, inviting audiences to experience the adrenaline-fueled journey of one man’s quest for vengeance with national stakes on the line.
