Jason Statham’s latest action thriller The Beekeeper was given an R rating by the MPAA, which isn’t unusual for the celebrated actor known for his high-octane characters. In The Beekeeper, Statham plays Adam Clay, a man who sets out on a violent revenge mission and is revealed to be part of a powerful secret society known as the Beekeepers. Statham is coming off a massive 2023 in which he plays integral roles in three major franchises such as Expend4bles, Fast X, and the box office hit Meg 2: The Trench.
Statham stars alongside Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy), Bobby Naderi (Black Summer, Bright), Jeremy Irons (Justice League, Watchmen), and Josh Hutcherson (Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Hunger Games). The Beekeeper is directed by filmmaker David Ayer (End of Watch, Suicide Squad, Fury) and Kurt Wimmer (Law Abiding Citizen, Point Break, Total Recall, Salt) wrote the screenplay. The Beekeeper releases in theaters in select theaters on Thursday, January 11, 2024, followed by a nationwide release on Friday.
The Beekeeper’s R-Rating Explained: Violence, Language, Drugs, & Sexual References
As per the MPAA, the official reason for The Beekeeper’s rating is “Rated R for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexual references and drug use.” According to IMDB’s Parents’ Guide, the sex and nudity in The Beekeeper are considered mild, while the violence and gore are considered severe and consistent throughout the film. This should come as no surprise for fans of Statham’s filmography, as the premise of the movie alone implies a great amount of violence that could rival the massively successful John Wick movies.
Profanity, alcohol use, drug use, and depictions of smoking are all considered moderate in The Beekeeper, which shouldn’t push any boundaries or become a primary focus of the movie. As for the frightening & intense scenes category, The Beekeeper is listed as severe, indicating that there will certainly be some unsettling scenes and depictions of violence in Statham’s latest film. This content shouldn’t be too out of the ordinary, however, and will likely serve to drive the thrilling action of the plot forward.
The Beekeeper will certainly be more violent and intense than some of Statham’s PG-13 titles such as Meg 2: The Trench, Fast X, and Transporter 3. With the majority of Statham’s movies being rated R, The Beekeeper should deliver a very similar dose of violence and intense action sequences throughout that are likely comparable to those seen in the recent 2021 heist film Wrath of Man and 2013’s Redemption. The Beekeeper should be one of Statham’s more violent films in recent memory and will likely have more explicit content than his other 2023 film Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.