One of the best when it comes to creating a realistic sense of urgency.

Every single one of Mike Bay's films contains sequences with people scrambling, trying to figure something out and/or rushing towards something. I really love the way he handles those scenes. The speed, the editing, the music, the shots he chooses, you simply can't take a breath. There's a very realistic sense of urgency and you feel it with every bone of your body, especially in scenes with military men and women. It also helps that in most cases those are 100% REAL military men and women. You're not just an observer, you feel like you're IN the movie. Especially in 13 Hours, Pain and Gain, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers 1 and The Island.

Other directors who handle urgency very well:


Pete Berg: just watch The Kingdom and Deepwater Horizon.
Paul Greengrass: United 93, the Bourne franchise.
James Cameron: Titanic, T2.

...................................



========================
"You don't watch Michael Bay films. They happen to you."