Pain & Gain
Daniel Lugo, manager of the Sun Gym in 1990s Miami, decides that there is only one way to achieve his version of the American dream: extortion. To achieve his goal, he recruits musclemen Paul and Adrian as accomplices. After several failed attempts, they abduct rich businessman Victor Kershaw and convince him to sign over all his assets to them. But when Kershaw makes it out alive, authorities are reluctant to believe his story.
What critics thought
Bay's true-crime black comedy landed with a thud for most critics, who felt its satirical ambitions collapse under the weight of its own bombast and gleeful brutality. The central argument dividing reviewers was whether Bay was knowingly in on the joke or simply embodying the same emptiness as his characters — a few found it genuinely self-aware, while many concluded the stylized spectacle overwhelmed whatever critique was intended.
“[Bay] once claimed he wanted to make a small, personal film that would reveal the real Bay. And, I'm here to report, that Pain and Gain is that film. It's dumb, shallow, deeply cynical and creatively bereft.”
Rolling Stone
“Michael Bay sends a clear message to those of us who've been making fun of him: He's been in on the joke the whole time.”
Andrew O'Hehir·Salon
Genres
Comedy, Crime, Action
Cast & Crew
Michael BayDirector
Mark WahlbergDaniel Lugo
Dwayne JohnsonPaul Doyle
Anthony MackieAdrian Doorbal
Tony ShalhoubVictor Kershaw
Ed HarrisEd DuBois
Rob CorddryJohn Mese
Bar PalySorina Luminita
Rebel WilsonRamona Eldridge
Ken JeongJohnny Wu
Michael RispoliFrank Griga
Keili LefkovitzKrisztina Furton
Steve JablonskyComposer
Christopher MarkusWriter
Stephen McFeelyWriter
Ben SeresinCinematographyPain & Gain
Daniel Lugo, manager of the Sun Gym in 1990s Miami, decides that there is only one way to achieve his version of the American dream: extortion. To achieve his goal, he recruits musclemen Paul and Adrian as accomplices. After several failed attempts, they abduct rich businessman Victor Kershaw and convince him to sign over all his assets to them. But when Kershaw makes it out alive, authorities are reluctant to believe his story.
What critics thought
Bay's true-crime black comedy landed with a thud for most critics, who felt its satirical ambitions collapse under the weight of its own bombast and gleeful brutality. The central argument dividing reviewers was whether Bay was knowingly in on the joke or simply embodying the same emptiness as his characters — a few found it genuinely self-aware, while many concluded the stylized spectacle overwhelmed whatever critique was intended.
“[Bay] once claimed he wanted to make a small, personal film that would reveal the real Bay. And, I'm here to report, that Pain and Gain is that film. It's dumb, shallow, deeply cynical and creatively bereft.”
Rolling Stone
“Michael Bay sends a clear message to those of us who've been making fun of him: He's been in on the joke the whole time.”
Andrew O'Hehir·Salon
Genres
Comedy, Crime, Action
Cast & Crew
Michael BayDirectorMark WahlbergDaniel LugoDwayne JohnsonPaul DoyleAnthony MackieAdrian DoorbalTony ShalhoubVictor KershawEd HarrisEd DuBoisRob CorddryJohn MeseBar PalySorina LuminitaRebel WilsonRamona EldridgeKen JeongJohnny WuMichael RispoliFrank GrigaKeili LefkovitzKrisztina FurtonSteve JablonskyComposerChristopher MarkusWriterStephen McFeelyWriterBen SeresinCinematography