The Beekeeper is the latest addition to Kurt Wimmer’s resume mostly comprised of action thrillers. The American filmmaker has written, directed, and produced several projects in a career spanning three decades. Wimmer’s works include 2021’s The Misfits, which earned him a Worst Screenplay nomination from the Golden Raspberry Awards. With The Beekeeper, he reasserts himself in the industry as a writer and one of the brains behind memorable, action-packed projects.
In The Beekeeper, Wimmer utilizes beekeeping as a metaphor for an exciting tale about The Beekeepers, a secret organization that steps in to fix any anomaly in society. The film follows Jason Statham’s Adam Clay, a former member of the secret organization. After his landlady was swindled into suicide, Adam comes out of retirement to deliver grim justice on the phishing scam syndicate targeting the vulnerable. Since its release, the film has enjoyed mostly positive reviews, especially for its entertainment value. Here are other Kurt Wimmer films like The Beekeeper.
1. Equilibrium (2002)
The sci-fi action drama is one of the earliest Kurt Wimmer movies like The Beekeeper. Released in December 2002 to mixed and slightly positive reviews, Equilibrium attempts to balance sumptuous action scenes with a mindful story about a totalitarian government in a future that prohibits feelings. Set in 2072 in a dystopian city-state that subjects its populace to an emotion-repressing drug, Christian Bale’s John Preston rises to challenge the status quo.
Though a high-ranking member of the government arm that enforces the established order, John accidentally missed a dose of the drug that suppresses emotions. This awakens his feelings; he begins to question what he had stood for and eventually finds himself in a fierce fight to topple the government and change the system. Despite its unique premise and stunning action sequences, Equilibrium was a commercial failure, unlike The Beekeeper. It only managed $5.3 million at the box office against a production budget pegged at $20 million.
2. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
The Beekeeper’s Adam Clay brings Clyde Shelton from Law Abiding Citizen to mind. Portrayed by Gerard Butler opposite Jamie Foxx’s Nick Rice, the vigilante action thriller tells the story of a corrupt system and an unflinching quest for justice. Written and produced by Kurt Wimmer with Felix Gary Gary as its director, Law Abiding Citizen received negative reviews for its unrealistic story and gratuitous violence. The film revolves around Butler’s character, an engineer forced to watch the rape and murder of his wife and daughter.
Unable to get a befitting justice for the victims due to corruption in the criminal justice system, Clyde sets out to get even. He dismembers the culprit and embarks on a killing spree against anyone helping to maintain the flawed system. Even with the negative reviews from critics, the film was a commercial success. It grossed $127.9 million at the box office against a production cost of $53 million. Law Abiding Citizen also picked up nominations for coveted awards, including the 2010 Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film.
3. Salt (2010)
Perhaps the most acclaimed work of Kurt Wimmer as a writer, Salt was praised for its action scenes, overarching political theme, and heroine. Originally written for a male lead with Tom Cruise tapped for the role, Brian Helgeland rewrote the script for Angelina Jolie. Unlike The Beekeeper, Salt tells a complex story about a conspiracy to unleash global chaos. But at the core of its plot, the film is about corruption and a bold undertaken to confront and protect society from unchecked power— just like The Beekeeper.
The action thriller stars Jolie as Evelyn Salt alongside Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, and August Diehl. It follows Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent accused of being a Russian spy. She flees and evades capture to prove otherwise, but as the truth unveils, she must choose where her loyalty lies between right and wrong. The film received numerous nominations for prestigious Awards, including an Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing. It also won Janene Carleton the 2011 World Stunt Award for Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman.
4. Total Recall (2012)
Like The Beekeeper, Total Recall tells the story of a man who stands up against an established system that oppresses the vulnerable. It seems Kurt Wimmer has a knack for stories that play with human sensibilities in dystopian settings. Alongside Mark Bomback, he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 sci-fi action directed by Len Wiseman. Total Recall stars Colin Farrell as Douglas Quaid opposite Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bookeem Woodbine, and Bryan Cranston.
The film follows Douglas Quaid, a factory worker who learns his life has been a lie during an attempt to fix his nightmares. As he seeks the truth, he finds himself caught up in a struggle for independence, so he fights for his freedom and that of a Colony exploited by the United Federation of Britain (UFB). Although critics lauded Total Recall for its beautiful action sequences, the film mostly received lukewarm reviews. It grossed $211.8 million at the box office against a budget of $125 million.
5. Expend4bles (2023)
Expend4bles stars an ensemble cast with Jason Statham as the lead. Other cast members of the action thriller include 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Iko Uwais, and Tony Jaa. Directed by Scott Waugh with Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams as the writers, Expend4bles delivers exciting action scenes like The Beekeeper. Also, revenge drives the storyline of both films, with Statham’s character dishing unrestrained violence to avenge the murders of characters dear to him.
While he did it alone for Eloise Parker in The Beekeeper, he’s aided by renowned action stars in Expend4bles for the sake of Barney Ross, the leader of the Expendables. Despite its entertainment value, the film was released to negative reviews from critics. It also bombed at the box office, grossing $51 million against a budget of $100 million. Check out 5 awesome action scenes in Bollywood films.
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