Summary
- Jason Statham’s January action flick,
The Beekeeper
, is now a hit on Prime Video and MGM+ after a lucrative theatrical run. - Critics praised the film’s thrilling action scenes and surprising sense of humor, giving it a solid score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences loved it.
- Statham’s standout performance and collaboration with David Ayer signal a promising future for their next movie together.
Jason Statham‘s latest action vehicle, 2024’s The Beekeeper, is now streaming on Prime Video and MGM+ six months after its premiere in theaters on January 12. Following a very successful theatrical run in which it made over $152 million from a $40 million budget, The Beekeeper was then released on VOD and digital platforms on January 30, and then DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD in April. The Statham action film has now become available to subscribers of Prime Video and quickly became the second most-watched movie on the platform.
The Beekeeper follows a mysterious man named Adam Clay (Statham), a beekeeper living on a farm owned by a retired teacher named Eloise Parker. Clay lives a quiet life, spending most of the day in complete isolation working with bees. Unfortunately, Eloise is scammed by a phishing company, and after they steal all her money, she decides to end her life.
After Clay is cleared of any suspicion, he decides to go after the crime organization that took Eloise’s money. The quiet and seemingly harmless man is actually a retired operative for a larger organization, and Clay has the resources to hunt down everyone responsible for the scams. In his quest to find justice, he finds that other “Beekeepers” have been assigned to stop him, as his objective may be more powerful than he imagined.
A Surprising Hit
The film’s reception by critics was better than expected, especially considering Statham’s movies aren’t usually critically acclaimed. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Beekeeper holds a decent score of 71% on the Tomatometer and an outstanding 92% on the Audience Score. Per the review of our very own Will Sayre:
“Despite its overall formulaic nature — combined with the expected eye rolls from Statham’s schtick and the silliness — you might just have a fun time at the movies, especially given the sitcom-like banter between Agent Verona and her partner, as mentioned earlier. Plus, the devilishly handsome Statham finally dons a nice suit in the third act, and you might just find yourself failing to take your eyes off him.”
Related Jason Statham & David Ayer Reunite for Levon’s Trade, Action Flick Adds David Harbour, Jason Flemyng & More
The Beekeeper’s Jason Statham and David Ayer are back for Levon’s Trade, with several big names now being added to the cast.
The Beekeeper is an All-Out Jason Statham Action Spectacular
Directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, Bright, End of Watch), The Beekeeper is your everyday Jason Statham film, one in which you’re not supposed to ask too many questions about the plot, or about the things that don’t exactly make sense. It has enough white-knuckle set pieces and well-designed stunts to make your day if you’re an action buff. If you’re able to get over some inconsistencies, The Beekeeper is an entertaining film starring one of the best action stars in Hollywood at the top of his game.
It also has a secret weapon, an undercurrent of over-the-top silliness that becomes increasingly funny. There are also notable secondary performances by Jeremy Irons, Phylicia Rashad, Minnie Driver, and Josh Hutcherson in one of the best shifts from his usual characters. Check out our interview with Josh Hutcherson below:
The Beekeeper is anything but Statham’s show and undoubtedly the actor’s best movie in years. He must have had a good experience as well, since he’s teaming up again with Ayer for a 2025 action thriller called Levon’s Trade, written by Sylvester Stallone. In MovieWeb’s interview with David Ayer, he said this about working with Statham on The Beekeeper:
“In working with him, it was really understanding how he works, what his sort of camera grammar is, and then bringing an A-game to action. When I learned his action game, it’s a plus. So I kind of got schooled by him. And I learned a lot about action and stunts and performance, more than I knew already. He was just an incredible collaborator. And there’s something about working with someone that just demands the best from you, that’s going to bring out your best.”
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