Michael Bay‘s “We Are Storror” begins with a warning on screen: “Don’t attempt anything you see here.”
It’s safe to say the audience at SXSW, the first to see the documentary on a big screen on March 8, was extremely impressed and a little bit scared, but definitely not jumping to attempt any of the wild stunts front and center in the documentary, which follows parkour team Storror.
Instead of wires, green screens and editing tricks that Bay fans are used to, this time, it’s all real. Making his debut as a feature documentary director at the film and television festival, Bay received a loud applause — and audience members chanting his name — when introducing the movie. During the screening, the audience squirmed in their seats, gasping many times at the jaw-dropping stunts and quite shocking injuries that occurred, and ultimately, standing to applaud at the end as five of the seven Storror members and Bay left the crowd to head backstage.
Storror consists of two sets of brothers, and three of their friends — Max Cave and Ben Cave, brothers Callum Powell and Sacha Powell, Josh Burnett-Blake, Drew Taylor, and Toby Seglar — who have been athletes for more than a decade.
The doc also included Marcio Filipe, a close friend of the team who visited their first filming location, Portugal, with them; while doing a runthrough of one of their jumps, he fell and suffered many serious injuries. Audible gasps were heard in the theater as the footage revealed his injury, his blood-covered face, and literal bone sticking out of his leg. Needless to say, “We Are Storror” is not for the faint of heart — but if you can make it through, it’s not just a thrill ride but an emotional story of family. Storror’s massive fanbase was evident as well, with one audience member telling them during the Q&A that watching their comradery had helped her during a tough time.
Bay, legally, couldn’t be on site for any of the doc’s filming, but couldn’t turn down the directing opp. He first met the team when hiring them for his 2019 action film, “6 Underground.” Then during the pandemic, Taylor called and asked him about the doc. During the Q&A, the director was sure to note that he did not agree with the actions — trespassing, risking their lives, etc.
“I said, ‘I don’t care to know anything that you’re doing. I do not approve of it. What you’re doing is illegal. This is completely wrong. I’m not doing anything on this. I’m not a producer. I’m not a director, so forget my name, call me later, and I’ll look at the footage, and I’ll see if I license it,’” Bay said on stage.
This marks his debut as a feature documentary director. Ahead of the film’s SXSW debut, Bay opened up to Variety about the process of making the doc and why he jumped at the chance to work with the “crazy elite athletes”, both because of their skill and their ability to film themselves (sometimes with mouth cameras).
“Imagine you’re a basketball player in the NBA, and every single basket you throw up, you have to shoot them all,” Bay said. “Or a [professional] baseball player, and you’ve got to hit every single ball — because if you strike out, you’re dead.”
The danger element, however, is on another level.
“Part of the appeal of what we do is the lack of safety, the no permissions,” Taylor said. “We can’t do it any other way. If we had harnesses on, then we’re stuntmen. That’s not Storror. We do it for real.”
