It would be an understatement to say that Michael Bay is divisive with six Golden Raspberry nominations for Worst Director, an average Tomatometer score of 39% across his films, and two titles in the Criterion Collection. Love him or hate him, Bay has created a genre all of his own — and it’s called “BAYHEM.” Over the years, a lot of directors have incorporated the Bayhem attitude into their work, giving the world movies like Crank and Den of Thieves.
The signs of Bayhem include dutch angles, nonstop action, cameras whirling crazily around actors as they stare off into the distance, and Gerard Butler’s casting. Bayhem is neither excellent nor terrible; rather, it is a lens through which artists can express themselves, including how much they enjoy car chases, people getting punched a lot, and weird things happening in space. This is similar to the French New Wave or German Expressionism.
With six Golden Raspberry nominations for Worst Director, an average of 39% on the Tomatometer across his films, and two titles in the Criterion Collection, it’s an understatement to say that Michael Bay is divisive. Love him or hate him, Bay has created a genre all of his own — and it’s called “BAYHEM.” Many filmmakers have applied the ethos of Bayhem to their work over the years, helping to give the world films like Crank and Den of Thieves.
Dutch angles, endless action, cameras spinning wildly around actors as they stare into the distance, and casting Gerard Butler are all symptoms of Bayhem. Much like French New Wave or German Expressionism, Bayhem isn’t good or bad: it is a lens through which artists can express themselves, including how much they love car chases, people being punched a lot, and stuff happening in space.
‘Copshop’ (2021)
A hitman, a police officer, and a con man enter a small-town police station. What happens is the basis for the existence of expressions like “hell yeah” and “lightning in a bottle.” Joe Carnahan’s Copshop, which stars Gerard Butler as a con man and Alexis Louder as a cop, is the pinnacle of what action movies can accomplish when they feature nail-biting suspense, a gripping narrative, and two of the most magnetic performances in recent memory.
Copshop would be “elevated Bayhem” if there were such a thing. Copshop is required viewing for action fans and Bayhem enthusiasts, lovingly indulging in action tropes and explosions that would make Bay himself cry.
‘Crank’ (2006)
The hitman Chev Chelios in Crank has been poisoned by the mob, and in order to survive and exact retribution, he must constantly maintain a high level of adrenaline. Bayhem, mayhem, and all in between are what crank is.
Crank is not your typical movie. Star Jason Statham does all of his stunts, while filmmakers Neveldine & Taylor double as camera operators while filming on digital (rare for the time). Not everyone will enjoy Crank because it is seedy, filthy, and grainy, but those who want Bayhem with a side of sleaze should check it out.
‘Deepwater Horizon’ (2016)
There are more subdued signs of Bayhem, such as rampant patriotism and a romantic view of the “little guy,” despite the fact that the flashier elements frequently garner the majority of the attention. Despite being at odds with one another, these two motifs are frequently used in equal measure in Bay’s movies. The same is true of Peter Berg’s account of the 2010 BP oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, Deepwater Horizon.
The movie is a gripping, in-depth, and terrifying recounting of the occasions that led to the disastrous spill in 2010, but like many of Bay’s movies, it is morally and thematically murky. It is difficult for Deepwater Horizon to criticize the choices that caused the spill while also attempting to elevate the workers who were involved. Despite this, Deepwater Horizon is still an exciting disaster movie that stirs the emotions and packs a lot of Bayhem.
‘Den of Thieves’ (2018)
Den of Thieves was there to satisfy Bay’s heist itch before he used Ambulance to do it. Den of Thieves attempts to reach the heights of Heat after a traditional tale of cops, robbers, and a lot of money. Christian Gudegast’s film is so much better than it has any right to be, despite the fact that it doesn’t quite succeed.
Den of Thieves, starring Gerard Butler as the sleazy yet capable cop “Big Nick” O’Brien, is packed with eccentric casting decisions (yes, 50 Cent is one of the leads), grandiose action sequences, and enough macho men to fill a bank vault.
‘Greenland’ (2020)
Gerard Butler, a veteran of the action genre, plays an engineer who is chosen by the government to obtain emergency refuge from an extinction-level comet that is headed towards Earth, along with his family. Greenland is much more than a glitzy disaster film despite having the standard comet-hitting-planet storyline. Films like Armageddon, which sprinkle a little drama here and there, are ultimately action flicks first; Greenland, on the other hand, chooses to invest in the drama of an apocalypse with the Bayhem as a backdrop.
Greenland succeeds in having its cake and eating it too by focusing on the repulsive human aspect of anxiety and impending danger. The movie by Ric Roman Waugh draws viewers in with disaster and explosions and holds their attention with suspenseful suspense and emotional risk.
‘Hardcore Henry’ (2015)
Hardcore Henry is a video game-style film about Henry, a man who is brought back to life as a cyborg and has to save his kidnapped wife. Hardcore Henry, directed by Ilya Naishuller, and shot in Russia, is frequently compared to movies that are based on video games because, despite not being one, it is entirely in first-person.
Hardcore Henry borrows heavily from the action genre, a staple of Bayhem, with elaborate stunts and set pieces that live up to the film’s title. While some of the Bayhem and action movie clichés in this movie are welcome additions, others, like the sexualization and underdevelopment of female characters, need to be abandoned. Having saying that, Hardcore Henry is not a one-trick pony and both innovates and is influenced by the genre.
‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ (2014)
The film Kingsman: The Secret Service, about a streetwise youth who develops into an elite spy, has a distinct aesthetic. The fans of Kingsman: The Secret Service and fans of Bayhem are very close to being in the same circle on the Venn diagram, despite the fact that Matthew Vaughan’s fast-paced and well-polished movie is rife with his own voice and trademarks.
Kingsman hits many Bayhem sweet spots while also being fashionable and distinctive enough to stand on its own. It has a ton of ambitious action scenes, nearly impossible camera movements, and a protagonist from the wrong side of the tracks.
‘Moonfall’ (2022)
Between Armageddon and the Transformers series, Bay is a leading director who enjoys silliness in science fiction and disaster movies. However, no one is higher on our list than Roland Emmerich, the man of Moonfall and a living legend. Our current understanding of what constitutes a blockbuster sci-fi/disaster film has been influenced by Independence Day, Godzilla, and 2012.
While the two directors have actually shared a good portion of their careers together, none of Emmerich’s films have more in common with Bay than Moonfall, which is a literal account of the moon’s descent to Earth. Moonfall is a good addition to the expanding canon of Bayhem films, featuring a plot that could have been lifted directly out of an SNL sketch, a stellar ensemble, and a sci-fi twist that no one saw coming.
‘Nobody’ (2021)
Ilya Naishuller’s Nobody, a mashup of Bayhem, John Wick, and Hardcore Henry, rises beyond its sources of inspiration to become significantly more than the sum of its parts. The movie centers on Hutch, an emasculated everyman played by comedic icon Bob Odenkirk, who picks up his old violent ways after having his home robbed.
The Bayhem of Nobody is a result of the film’s wonderful handling of both violence and humor. Nobody manages to tread a delicate line between genres with grace and flair, helped along by a fantastic and, at times, humorous performance from Odenkirk and a script that is performed to perfection.
‘Why Don’t You Just Die!’ (2018)
a movie that truly lives up to its name. In the bloody Russian film Why Don’t You Just Die!, a young guy is encouraged to kill someone—her father—by his girlfriend. The film spends a significant amount of time focusing on a single bloody altercation that occurs in a single flat because this duty is not as straightforward as it first appears to be.
Why not just pass away? Applying violence to the action components of Bayhem. This wacky and outlandish action gore-fest makes use of mad rush fight scenes, scrambles for survival, and incredibly inventive weaponry.
