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'The Beast' jumps from 1910, to 2014, to 2044, tracking fear through the ages

Justin Chang

Gabrielle and Louis (Léa Seydoux and George MacKay) meet in 1910 Paris, 2014 Los Angeles and again in 2044 in The Beast . Carole Bethuel/Kinology hide caption

Gabrielle and Louis (Léa Seydoux and George MacKay) meet in 1910 Paris, 2014 Los Angeles and again in 2044 in The Beast .

There's no easy way to sum up the work of the brilliant and maddening French writer-director Bertrand Bonello. In recent years, he's made a zombie thriller rooted in Haitian voodoo lore and an unconventional biopic of Yves Saint-Laurent. His most controversial title, Nocturama , is a hangout movie about a group of French youth carrying out terrorist attacks around Paris. Bonello's films have a unique way of blurring the intellectual and the aesthetic: Their gorgeous surfaces are often loaded with troubling and provocative ideas.

His latest movie is called The Beast , and it's one of the best and least classifiable things he's ever done. It's a wildly original adaptation of the 1903 Henry James novella The Beast in the Jungle , about a man who dwells in a constant state of fear.

James' story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of being too cautious, of not embracing life and love to the fullest. Bonello takes this premise and spins it in several unexpected directions. First, he recasts the hesitant protagonist as a woman, named Gabrielle, played by the wonderful Léa Seydoux. Then he positions her in three different stories, set in three time frames, and suffused with elements of horror, mystery and science fiction. It's easier to follow than it sounds: Even when it's not entirely clear where or when we are, Bonello's filmmaking is so hypnotic, and Seydoux's performance so subtly mesmerizing, that you can't help getting caught up in the flow.

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The first story is the one that most closely resembles the novella. It's 1910, and Gabrielle is a renowned pianist who has a run-in at a Paris salon with a gentleman named Louis, played by the English actor George MacKay. In a setup that evokes the confounding 1961 classic Last Year at Marienbad , Gabrielle and Louis seem to vaguely recall having met before. There's a clear attraction between them, but Gabrielle, who's married, resists pursuing it. Her restraint will cost her in a climax that coincides with a real-life Parisian catastrophe, the Great Flood of 1910.

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The second story takes place in Los Angeles in 2014, and has some of the eerie menace of David Lynch 's masterpiece Mulholland Dr. Gabrielle is now an aspiring model and actor who's been housesitting for a wealthy Angeleno. Rattled by a violent earthquake one morning, she steps outside and runs into Louis, who's now a deeply disturbed incel who's been posting misogynist video rants online.

MacKay is utterly terrifying as this Louis, who's modeled on a man who killed six people in 2014 in Isla Vista, Calif. What makes this second segment so chilling is that, unlike in the novella, the protagonist's fear is not unfounded. The beast stalking Gabrielle is all too real.

The third story is the most elusive and intriguing. It's set in 2044, when the world is run by AI. Gabrielle plays a human who, to join the work force, must undergo a process that will rid her of her emotions. This segment, with its shades of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , explains the framework of the entire movie: It turns out that the 1910 and 2014 sections are remnants of Gabrielle's past lives, now being purged from her subconscious.

Bonello doesn't tell the stories one at a time; he jumps around and among them. He's tracking the sources of human alienation and anxiety through the ages, asking why, in every era, we find ways to disengage from life and the people around us. The movie is especially insightful about how technology evolves. Each chapter features an artificial human companion of sorts: a line of baby dolls in 1910, a talking doll in 2014, a robot friend in 2044. Along the way, Bonello also asks questions about the future of movies, a medium so overrun with CGI that it's become harder to tell what's real from what isn't.

As grim as The Beast sounds, it isn't entirely pessimistic about the state of the world. I left the movie feeling disturbed but also enthralled, and strangely reassured by Seydoux's presence in all three stories. The futuristic Gabrielle may have to divest herself of her feelings, but Seydoux's emotions are always within reach. The more unreal her surroundings become, the more hauntingly human her performance feels.

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Believe it or not, Avengers: Infinity War isn’t the only film in our cineplexes at the moment. Michael Pearce’s Beast is one of the films vying for your attention opposite the superhero behemoth, providing perfect counter-programming in the form of a slow-burning psychological mystery-thriller that wraps you tightly in its clutches and relentlessly tightens its grip across a well-measured and blistering 106 minutes.

Life in an isolated community in Jersey and surrounded by her oppressive family pulls a lonely, troubled woman towards a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders. Starring Jessie Buckley  (in her first major screen feature-length), Johnny Flynn and Geraldine James , Beast has been described as a ‘warped adult-fairytale’ exploring themes of suppression, trust and love in this dangerously dark mystery.

When the screening invite dropped into my inbox for Beast , I breathed a sigh of relief: it had been on my radar but I’d resigned myself to missing it (at least during its theatrical run), mainly because it was only being granted a rather limited release and would likely be buried by the aforementioned superhero team-up film. Seeing it only confirms that Beast is the sort of the film you should really seek out, particularly in a theatrical capacity, as it provokes a reaction benefitted by crowd interpretation. You cower, you gasp and you laugh throughout as your mind ticks over, making for a well-balanced, tonally-satisfying experience.

Visual and narrative subterfuge

Pearce’s screenplay unfurls at an intoxicating pace, pulling you into the given mystery and ensuring you are engaged throughout, planted firmly on the edge of the seat. It largely ignores needless red herrings and cheap bait-and-switch storytelling tactics, confronting its enigma head-on: is Pascal ( Flynn ) the serial killer the community believes him to be? It considers pack mentality and hostility towards those unlike ourselves, with a deeper thematic resonance beyond your more basic whodunnit serial killer narratives. With some dark, dirty and striking imagery contrasted beautifully by sweeping shots of Jersey’s beaches and views, Pearce’s direction is solid too, playing with the idea of subterfuge just as well visually as it does thematically.

Jessie Buckley’s powerhouse performance deserves your attention (and plenty of awards)

What makes Beast so fantastic though is the exquisite central performance from  Jessie Buckley. Unbelievably magnetic and engrossing, Buckley plays Moll superbly, slowly shedding her timid persona and setting her on the dangerous path to a believed freedom gained from a new found confidence, gifted by her unconventional partner. Her powerhouse performance makes Beast all the more captivating to witness and experience, with Moll becoming one of the most endlessly fascinating roles you will see in quite some time, elevated extraordinarily by an award-worthy  Buckley .

Flynn is rather impressive, too. Like Moll, Pascal is enthralling – you never quite know who, or what, he really is. You will find yourself guessing, second-guessing, then triple guessing the character, scrutinizing his motives and questioning his actions. It is thanks to measured volatility Flynn injects into the role and how seemingly incongruous his relationship with Moll is, that it all works so effectively. Their chemistry is palpable and it’s increasingly difficult to take your eyes off them.   Pearce’s screenplay sure does help too: these really are incredible characters that spark off of one another brilliantly.

If there’s something that lets Beast down though, it is its reluctance to end. There were a number of moments where a cut to black would have been considerably more effective than the conclusion it ultimately winds up with; one that tries to have its cake and eat it too. It loses the expertly-crafted ambiguity that has been building masterfully throughout, hammering the point home to damaging effect. By dragging it out for an additional fifteen minutes or so, it weighs down an otherwise tight, taut and tense film. While you find yourself reflecting on it long after the credits have rolled, I’ll be very surprised whether many people actually like the ending it so clumsily lands on; I significantly prefer it more in theory than in execution.

In Conclusion: Beast

Beast is a breed of its own, a gritty psychological-mystery with a brilliantly dark, pulsating and atmospheric heart. Led with an exceptional lead performance from  Jessie Buckley and a handful of fantastic supporting turns,  Michael Pearce  delivers a brilliantly assured and confident feature-length directorial debut, for the most part, masterful in its tension and ambiguity.

With fascinating and enthralling characters, it’s difficult not to be drawn into Beast immediately and while your attention begins to dwindle towards the end, it doesn’t take too much away from a truly exception British film (and an astounding debut from Pearce ).

What did you make of Beast’s divisive ending? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Beast was released in the UK on April 27, 2018 and received a limited release in the US on May 11, 2018. For all international release dates, see  here .

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The Beast Review

Opening with an actress screaming at an invisible attacker while filming a green-screen scene, The Beast immediately reveals its primary ideas: the eeriness of technological advancement, a feeling of deep anguish at a terror that isn’t really there, and the interaction between the two. Bertrand Bonello’s sci-fi — in which two people, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) and Louis (George MacKay), meet in different eras — is an extraordinary excavation of the role technology plays in causing emotional mayhem, and a clarion call to those who would use it as a stand-in during daily human life.

If that sounds complicated, then buckle up: with three timelines and endless recurring symbolism, The Beast is, well, a bit of a beast. We begin in 1910, where Gabrielle is a musician; in 2014, she’s a model and actor house-sitting in Los Angeles; in 2044, she is considering “purifying” her DNA in an attempt to get a job in an AI-riddled society. In all three eras, she’s haunted by an intense feeling that something, one day, will annihilate her. Is it all in her head?

Though the story feels so attuned to current-day neuroses, its themes are timeless.

To the film’s benefit, Bonello doesn’t over-explain the backstory for this cold vision of the future, which is what sometimes dates less successful sci-fi movies — here, 2044 is a believable state of affairs, with experts already warning of the quasi-dystopia we could be facing with AI in an even closer timeframe. All we know is that after a ‘tragedy’ in 2025, AI has been increasingly relied upon in place of human-led employment, and that the government wants to ‘cleanse’ the workforce by purging them of upsetting memories from their past lives, thus reducing emotional suffering and removing biased decision-making — essentially, banishing ‘human affect’. A suffocating 4:3 aspect ratio locks us into this cold world where the streets are deserted, and the passivity of the populace — evidenced in a small but crucial role by Saint Omer ’s Guslagie Malanda as ‘doll’ Kelly — is pretty alarming.

Thanks to what is arguably Léa Seydoux’s best performance, we never feel lost among all the complex imagery across the timelines, from clairvoyants to pigeons, knives and dolls. With just a mere flicker in her expression, it’s so easy to identify with her passion and pain, even if the uncanny atmosphere leaves a deep feeling of ‘wrongness’ seeping into your pores like poison. There’s something in the 2044 scenes that feels strongly reminiscent of David Lynch, especially the way he makes you empathise with the anguish of Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks , despite all the strangeness in tone and mood.

Throughout, the director makes us just as afraid as Seydoux’s Gabrielle — afraid of what is the question that remains so riveting. Bonello mixes his high-concept sci-fi with real events — nodding to the 1910 Great Flood of Paris, as well as the 2014 Isla Vista killings by a misogynistic incel — to disorientate us as viewers, forcing us to sort through what is real and what isn’t, just like Gabrielle.

It’s in the 2014 timeline where there is the thickest atmosphere of inching dread and imminent catastrophe. Painted as a time of narcissism where nobody is really seeing, the world is filtered through sunglasses, videophones, surveillance cameras, YouTube and broadcast news; Dasha Nekrasova’s appearance as a model who speaks in an insincere Millennial drawl epitomises the empty posturing of the era. Bonello seems to be begging: wake up.

And in its purest essence, The Beast asks us to entertain a scary thought: if you could, would you go through a medical procedure that would remove all the parts of your brain that make you upset and frightened? Despite its esoteric imagery, the film is incredibly accurate in its exploration of anxiety, from the cruel nature of foreboding, to the ways we take refuge in the past, and how we often put ourselves in danger in our desperate pursuit for inner peace.

Though the story feels so attuned to current-day neuroses, its themes are timeless; it is, after all, loosely adapted from the Henry James novella The Beast In The Jungle , which notes: “It wouldn’t have been failure to be bankrupt, dishonoured, pilloried, hanged; it was failure not to be anything.” Bonello seems to echo in agreement: embrace the possibility of catastrophe, because a future without it is a whole different beast.

Beast Reviews Are In, See What Critics Have To Say About The Idris Elba Survival Thriller

Are you in for this 'Man vs. Beast' thriller?

Idris Elba’s chances of playing James Bond may not be looking so good these days, but the actor’s got bigger fish to fry in his latest project — specifically, the king of the jungle. Beast stars Elba as Nate Samuels, who takes his daughters on a trip to South Africa following the death of his wife. The family soon finds themselves being stalked by a huge, deadly lion and in a fight for their lives . Critics have screened the movie ahead of its August 19 theatrical release, so let’s see what they have to say.

Alongside Idris Elba , Beast stars Iyana Halley ( This Is Us, Abbott Elementary ) and Leah Jeffries ( Empire ) as Nate’s daughters Mere and Norah, respectively. Sharlto Copley plays Martin Battles, who welcomes the family to his wildlife reserve. Let’s get right to the critics’ thoughts, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Beast . Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying the escape scenes are exciting and well-done, but the film lags too much when the beast isn’t around. He says:

Beast knows that its greatest asset is its feral wildcat, and it doesn’t quite know what to do with itself when it’s not around. It leaves a lot on the table when it comes to the perils of being stranded in the middle of an African savannah with no communication available, and is satisfied doing the minimum when it comes to what could be called “human stuff” in the context of the material.

Kate Erbland of IndieWire isn’t quite on board either with this man vs. beast tale, grading it a C, despite its promising concept (Idris Elba fights a lion? I’m down.). The opening sequence, while wildly entertaining, invokes too much sympathy for the antagonist, and the characters make frustratingly cliched horror movie decisions, she says: 

While nothing beats the film’s opening sequence, which delights in playing with the pitch-black darkness of the savanna at night and the threat of a lion who might sneak out and grab you at any minute, when Beast goes full terror, it delivers. Unfortunately, its stars also find themselves beholden to some of the less-clever elements of horror-movie storytelling. Nate and the girls are innocent, but they are also truly, truly stupid, and despite often showing signs of intelligence (again, Nate is a doctor! Mere is a gifted artist with big college plans!), they crumble into scary-movie tropes when faced with their furred nemesis.

William Bibbiani of The Wrap says there are certainly worse ways to spend 93 minutes, but the movie overall lacks substance — except when it comes to the cinematography. From the review: 

The MVP of Beast is veteran cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, who crafts the film out of extended, complicated takes that give it a remarkable visual clarity. Director Kormákur (Everest) cannot rely on rapid-fire editing to make these situations convincing; the scares cannot come from out of nowhere. This is a film that makes viewers hyper-aware of the treacherous surroundings, making them hunt every frame for telltale signs of a pissed-off, hungry lion.

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY seems in line with other critics, rating Beast 2.5 out of 4 stars. The writer calls the movie “tolerable,” and says the CGI beast is “not bad,” which are lukewarm compliments, and likely a far cry from words one would prefer to see describing their film, even if we are in the dregs of summer.  The critics says:

Once the vicious lion starts stalking its prey – and claustrophobic attacks lead to an epic face-off between man and nature – the film finds its way and offers up some decent jump scares before the story begins to dip toward far-fetched fantasy. You will have to endure some forgettable B-movie dialogue: ‘We’re in his territory now,’ Copley somehow says with a straight face as the movie’s four-legged villain makes his presence felt.

Josh Spiegel of SlashFilm rates the movie 5 out of 10, but says Beast delivers exactly what it promises: Idris Elba fighting a lion with his bare hands. It’s a ridiculous movie based on a ridiculous notion, and it fits right in with summertime movie fare, the critic says:

Beast is no great shakes, but it's also a rare enough summer movie, in that it knows its limits, it delivers on its specific promises, and it doesn't belabor the point. In some ways, though the back half of summer 2022 has felt light on new releases, Beast seems like it would be more at home as something you catch while folding laundry on a slow Sunday as opposed to paying to see it in theaters. It's dumb and silly, yes ... and that is, whether you like it or not, the entire point.

Does Beast sound like something you might want to check out? If so, you can catch it in theaters beginning Friday, August 19. Also check out some of Idris Elba’s other upcoming projects , and start planning your next trip to the theater with our 2022 Movie Release Schedule .

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Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.

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REVIEW: 'Beast' leaves you feeling trapped and panicked throughout

"Beast," starring Idris Elba, hits theaters Aug. 19.

Think of it as "Jaws" on Safari and you'll have some idea what to expect when you grab your popcorn and settle down to watch "Beast" in theaters.

Buying tickets is the only way to catch Idris Elba in this man-versus-lion thriller since it's not streaming anywhere at this time.

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Is it worth the money? Everyone's committed to keeping you on edge, starting with the always mesmeric Elba as Nate Samuels, a New York doctor who is taking his daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley), 18, and Norah (Leah Jeffries), 13, on a wildlife adventure in South Africa.

It isn't all in fun. The girls are hurting from the recent death of their mother who was separated from Nate -- a problem drinker -- at the time of her passing. He thinks returning to her hometown will help him "reconnect" with his girls and aid in the healing process for the family.

Plus, their guide is Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), a childhood friend of mom's and now a park ranger charged with protecting the area's pride of lions from poachers. No one mentions early on who's responsible for protecting the humans from a hungry, rampaging lion.

Note to parents: "Beast" is rated R for, and I quote, "violent content, bloody images and some language." The swearing isn't the problem, but the ratings board is not kidding about the gore. When it comes and Nate yells, "Get back in the truck," you won't argue.

No lions were harmed during filming since computer magic created the beast and did so magnificently. And cheers to Baltasar Kormakur ("Everest," "2 Guns"), the Icelandic director who sustains a feeling of enclosed space that makes you feel trapped and panicky throughout.

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The movie takes time to show that real lions don't normally attack tourists. It's poachers who decimate the pride leaving the apex predator to take revenge against them. Like a cornered lion intent on protecting his children, Nate is also hellbent on showing who's the boss.

"Beast" owes its heart and humanity to Elba, a true screen presence since his early TV work as Stringer Bell on "The Wire" and as the title detective on "Luther." But except for an Oscar-worthy performance in "Beasts of No Nation," Elba's movie roles have veered commercially toward Marvel ("Thor," "Avengers: Infinity War") and Bloodsport in "The Suicide Squad."

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But the adrenaline rush of "Beast" only rarely allows Elba to show his formidable acting chops, as he does with the young actresses playing his daughters. Elba is always best when a script allows him to take chances. What a shame that "Beast" gives him so few opportunities to break outside the formula box that the script paints him into.

"Beast" doesn't add up to more than a generic thrill machine that mostly requires Elba to look great (he does) while doing battle with a digital lion.

In terms of script, "Beast" lacks the complexity and depth of feeling that Steven Spielberg brought to "Jaws" and that you can find right now in "Prey," the Hulu original "Predator" prequel that sets a creature loose among the Comanche nation in early 18th-century America.

In the mighty jungle of Hollywood, the roar of the box office is king. Forget what Elba might have done to deepen the dramatic possibilities of "Beast," a movie whose intent, over a tight 90 minutes, is to keep audiences jumping out of their skin. Mission accomplished. But is that enough?

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Review: A Troubled Beauty and a Mysterious ‘Beast’

• Share full article

By Jeannette Catsoulis

• May 10, 2018

“Moll’s a wild one,” someone remarks early in “Beast,” Michael Pearce’s thrilling, unsettling debut feature. With her electric twist of Titian curls and dark, secretive gaze, Moll (a riveting Jessie Buckley) has the look of a volcano that’s primed to erupt.

Stirring murder mystery, love story and psychodrama into a mesmerizing slurry, Mr. Pearce turns his native island of Jersey into a sunlit trap where Moll chafes against her domineering mother (an icy Geraldine James) and conservative community. A nasty incident with scissors haunts her past and suggests her mother might have cause to exert control; and when she meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn, perfect), an insinuatingly handsome poacher, she cleaves to him as one would a kindred spirit.

Aided and abetted by Benjamin Kracun’s alluringly sensual cinematography, Mr. Pearce has created a feverish fairy tale riven with dark horrors and forbidden desires. Young women are being raped and murdered, and as suspicion circles Pascal, Moll’s behavior is disturbingly unreadable. Does she truly believe he is innocent, or is she drawn to the possibility that he is not?

Bathed in a shadowy beauty and slippery psychological atmosphere, “Beast” soars on Ms. Buckley’s increasingly animalistic performance. At one point, Moll settles into the hole where a body has been found, filling her mouth with damp earth. Later, she lounges, filthy, on her mother’s pristine sofa, her nails streaking defiantly muddy trails on the white cloth. This is lurid stuff, yet Mr. Pearce miraculously holds things together until the end — even when his heroine fails to do the same.

Rated R for rough passion and beastly violence. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes.

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Beast review: Idris Elba vs a lion is the apex of low-expectation cinema

It’s impossible to argue that ‘beast’ doesn’t live up to its promise, because the only promise was another piece of recyclable pop-culture imagery, article bookmarked.

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Dir: Baltasar Kormákur. Starring: Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, Sharlto Copley. 15, 93 minutes.

A shot of Idris Elba socking a lion in the face isn’t just the dramatic denouement of Beast – it’s the film’s entire raison d’etre. No one’s here for the scenes of Elba’s well-intentioned patriarch attempting to heal his fractured family, or the vague sentiments about nature’s karmic vengeance. Audiences will turn up because a trailer promised to show them one of our most charismatic A-listers in a boxing match with a roided-out kitty cat. Everything that comes before is just the warm-up for the main event.

In that sense, it’s impossible to argue that Beast doesn’t live up to its promise, because the only promise was another piece of recyclable pop-culture imagery. Beast is the latest entry in the man vs arbitrary animal Hall of Fame, filed right next to Samuel L Jackson getting shark-chomped in Deep Blue Sea (1999) and Liam Neeson charging headfirst at the alpha wolf in The Grey (2011). As for the rest of Baltasar Kormakur’s film, it at least doesn’t test its audience’s patience, establishing the Icelandic director – behind survival dramas The Deep (2012), Adrift (2018), and Everest (2015) – as exactly the steady hand needed for to deliver this brand of disposable, B-movie thrills. Beast represents the apex of low-expectation cinema.

Elba’s Dr Nate Samuels has brought his two daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries), to visit the South African village where their recently deceased mother grew up – the same place she and Nate first met, through mutual friend and park ranger Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley). Meredith is an especially embittered sort. Though her parents separated before her mother was diagnosed with cancer, she doesn’t feel like Nate ever did enough to support them, and neither has he shown sufficient interest in her nascent photography career. And what will better make this trio reconsider the bonds of family than an errant male lion who, after his entire pride is killed by poachers, vows (presumably, he can’t talk) to enact single-minded revenge against the entire human race?

It’s not all that thrilling to watch a premise like this unravel, since there’s no doubt about who will be punished, who will live to tell the tale, and what the antagonist’s Achilles heel will prove to be. After all, there’s only so much of a threat that a large feline can pose to a group of people who have a reinforced jeep with lockable doors. As if to compensate, Ryan Engle’s screenplay continually demeans the intelligence of his own characters in order to protract the drama. They shout. They split up. They leave the car windows open. It’s inexplicable.

But Kormakur knows how to make these movies move, and has smartly employed the aid of Oscar-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, whose credits include Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), to add some slick, visual flair to the non-stop mauling. Rousselot’s camera takes on the same prowling quality of the film’s central predator, in long, unbroken shots that wind through massacre sites and crocodile-infested waters. The lion itself, a fully CGI creation, never looks convincing – but that may not even be the point.

With his ratty, bloodied coat of fur and a deep scar carved into his snout, he’s animated more to look like the kind of John Wick-like assassin Elba might normally go toe-to-toe with, rather than anything David Attenborough would narrate over. Realism has no worth in a film this silly. So why not have a leonine antagonist that is introduced with the line, “they killed his pride… now he’s coming after us”?

‘Beast’ is in cinemas from 26 August

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Johnny Oleksinski

‘beast’ review: idris elba’s creature movie makes you miss ‘anaconda’.

In the new movie “Beast,” a demonic lion gets a layered backstory like he’s Liam Neeson in “Taken.”

Why is Scary Simba killing African villagers for sport, and determinedly hunting Nate ( Idris Elba ) and his two young daughters (Leah Sava Jeffries and Iyana Halley)? Evil poachers offed the big cat’s pride, he snapped and went rogue.

Running time: 93 minutes. Rated <br>Rated R (violent content, bloody images and some language.) In theaters.

I don’t recall ever feeling bad for the deadly creatures in “Jaws” or “Anaconda” or “Lake Placid.” But my heart went out to this poor, murderous, widower lion hellbent on avenging the death of cute cubs and lionesses.

Yet, this is a film along the lines of the above trio (in an early scene one of Nate’s daughters even wears a “Jurassic Park” T-shirt) where we need to want man (the good ones, anyway) to win. We never poured one out for the shark. No tears were shed for raptors! These stories are campy, not emotionally complex, and this one makes you feel crummy in the end. 

Nate brings his daughters to the faraway savanna after his ex-wife dies. The couple spent happy years there — he as a doctor and his wife as a wildlife photographer — and he thinks it would be good for the kids to connect with the place. What a great idea that turned out to be.

On the first day there, they go on safari with Nate’s old friend Martin (Sharlto Copley) and the group stumbles upon a savaged, corpse-strewn village and finds themselves face to face with Kitty Cat Cujo.

Their car, naturally, crashes into a tree and the rest of the film is them venturing outside of it (idiotically), returning in terror and trying and failing to avoid the creature.

There are some decent scares of the jump variety, and Elba gives a subtle performance given the circumstances. To give his character more oomph, the writers put him at an emotional distance from his daughters because they believe he abandoned their sick mom. A great way for a dad to reclaim his children’s love is by protecting them from a ferocious lion.

But it all comes down to Mr. Whiskers. The lion’s CGI animation is merely adequate, so even though he spooks you he never comes across as quite real. After some early thrills, director Baltasar Kormákur’s movie ceases to excite because the creature has no more surprises left. He just jumps through the window — again.

And the final epic fight is laughable. In real-life, Nate would be mauled to death in five seconds.

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Beast Movie Review: Nelson Loses And Vijay Gains In This Unremarkable Yet Absurdly Entertaining Action Film

Cast:  Vijay, Pooja Hedge, Selvaraghavan, Aparna das, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley

Director:  Nelson

A bunch of oddballs thrown in a dire situation led by an over-smart operator — in short, this is Nelson's MO. In both Kolamavu Kokila with Nayanthara and Doctor with Sivakarthikeyan, he pulled off absolute bangers with this format. With his latest outing Beast , he continues to stick to it. Or does he?

Beast is the story of a patriotic sociopath Veeraraghavan ( Vijay ) who leaves his day job as a RAW agent after a painful betrayal by the establishment. With faith lost and mental health in disarray, he now lives in Chennai. He's taken to a wedding by his shrink, where he has a preposterous meet-cute with Preethi (Pooja Hedge whose job couldn't have been simpler), falls in love, finds a job in mall security, and ends up in a place hijacked by Pakistani terrorists. How he fights the captors, rescues the hostages, saves the day and also redeems himself makes the rest of the film.

Nelson wastes no time in introducing us to Veeraraghavan. We almost immediately learn that he's a smart cookie, treasured asset, heart of gold, but with a worrying tendency to go rogue. AnbAriv stages the action sequences with style and detail that truly elevates the star vehicle. Vijay, for his part, is nimble on his feet, the movements and the landing inch-perfect. Manoj Paramahamsa captures the action gently, without unnecessary fanfare with the camera. The writing of the most important incident, the betrayal, is rather pedestrian. And Vijay's performance in this scene is barely adequate. But it works. In essence, the prologue is efficient.

This is also why the scenes that follow are a test of patience. The conversation with the psychiatrist is a joke — not the good kind. The implication that resolution can only come from redemption defeats the very purpose of admitting mental health issues in the first place. The interaction between Veeraraghavan and Preethi is classic Tamil cinema bagasse. The ageist jokes about security companies only work sporadically. Nelson hurries through these sequences, thank god. Else, the restlessness to get to the point would have burnt up the audience.

When the action truly begins, when the terrorists close down the mall and take people hostage, we expect that the fluff is over and the film will come alive. It somewhat does, but what we get is a lumpy Nelson-lite. The film is so obsessed with Veeraraghavan's larger than life "Indian James Bond" image that it eats into the motley-group-of-misfits MO that Nelson has created for himself.

Pooja Hegde's Preethi has no personality of her own, her existence is merely a means to an end — bringing Veeraraghavan to the mall. Sunil Reddy and Shiva Arvind, who were terrific as the local rowdy and sidekick in Doctor , are ineffective. Yogi Babu and Redin Kingsley come, try and go. Satish as Preethi's smitten fiancé is neither irritating nor funny, no character should be so bland as to evoke no emotion from the audience! VTV Ganesh seems to have got the better deal, yet largely underwhelming as a character. 

Selvaraghavan tries his best to bring a dry cynicism to Althaf, the deputy security advisor in charge of handling the hijack. But the writing fails him so much, reducing his existence to spewing unnecessary build-up for Veeraraghavan, almost reminiscent of Vivek Oberoi's character in Vivegam . The villains are lame, never posing any real threat — at one point, they are so easily fooled by Veeraraghavan's lies that I found myself asking " yarra nee ?" This makes the standoff weightless and the payoffs joyless.

This uncharacteristic light-handedness is in how Veeraraghavan is written too. The joy of Nelson's previous work, Kolamavu Kokila and Doctor was in not knowing how far the hero will go and what they are really capable of. The disproportionate dialogue-level build-up for Veeraraghavan violently scratches out any element of surprise — we know that he's going to tie up fully grown adults with his bare hands and carry them like a duffle bag (or ' aamai ' as the film describes it). 

Also Read:  Vijay Is Super-Chill In An Uncomplicated, Jolly Action Comedy Beast Where The Stakes Don't Matter At All

With the writing not powering the film as it should, Beast relies almost entirely on its stunts and set pieces. They work and how! The interval block car chase is delightful. Sparks fly, both literally and figuratively, in every gunfight. Vijay is in top form skating, driving, jumping and flying through a space as confined as a mall. The slow-mos, as repetitive as they seem, are a fan feast. If the energy isn't already pumped, composer Anirudh brings everything he has got to the background score to up the ante.

For a Vijay film — if your scale is let's say, Bairavaa or Bigil — Beast is an absurdly entertaining film. It looks, sounds and behaves like a well-done action movie. The unbelievable is still palatable. At the end of the film and its musical epilogue, you wouldn't leave unsatisfied.

For a Nelson film, though, Beast is a step-down. From the very beginning, it sheds its quirky Nelson-ness for genre-conformation. It becomes rather ordinary pretty soon. It takes a textbook approach to setups and callbacks. It follows an obvious Vijay film template in political dialogues and self-references. It disproportionately worships its hero.

This is perhaps the beginning of the mainstreaming of Nelson. I, for one, am more worried for the path this is taking.

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‘beast’: film review | tiff 2017.

Newcomers Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn make indelible impressions, as does first-feature director Michael Pearce, with 'Beast,' an atmospheric British thriller set on the island of Jersey.

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

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British thriller Beast takes a fistful of tired old tropes — like a hunt for a serial killer, and the ‘ol Joe Eszterhas-style is-he-or-isn’t-he-a-baddie tease — and manages to fashion something fresh, fierce and quite striking from them. A huge portion of the credit should go to Jessie Buckley (who made a vivid impression in the recent BBC adaptation of War and Peace and on the London stage in A Winter’s Tale and Harlequinade ), starring here as an intense young woman haunted by her own past. She’s drawn to an enigmatic outsider played by Johnny Flynn (equally a knockout recently in the Royal Court production of  Hangman ). Although the combustible chemistry between the two leads would be sufficient to power a small factory let alone a film, no less deserving of praise is writer-director Michael Pearce, making his feature debut, who really juices up the pic with stylistic flair and an eye for telling detail.

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The action unfolds on the island of Jersey off the British south coast, a genteel tax haven known for its striking landscapes, quaint tea shops and the rampant sexual abuse of minors in state-run children’s homes over many years. Jersey also happened to be where a notorious lone attacker, known as the Beast of Jersey, raped women and children in their own homes for more than a decade starting in 1960, a case that Pearce has acknowledged as an inspiration here. Some British viewers might also note that Buckley, with her ringlets of red, nape-long hair, and blond/blue-eyed Flynn together bear a strong resemblance to Maxine Carr and Ian Huntley, the lovers implicated in the murder of two girls in Soham in the early 2000s .

The Bottom Line Wild at heart, weird on top, but pretty wonderful.

That background information sounds like it’s spoiling the ending, but Pearce keeps the identity of the killer ambiguous right up to and perhaps even at the end, depending on how one reads the final scene. What’s more important here is not who’s done what, but what draws us to danger and how much a victim can also become an aggressor and vice versa.

Pearce and his production and costume designers (Laura Ellis-Cricks and Jo Thompson, respectively) run a little virtual Vaseline on the lens to make the time setting hard to pin down at first. In her floofy yellow party dress, Moll (Buckley) looks like a debutante in the early 19 60s when she’s seen in an early scene preparing for her own birthday party. Pissed off when her evening is upstaged by her “perfect” older sister’s (Shannon Tarbet ) announcement that she’s having twins, Moll slips away from the party and the controlling grasp of her mother Hilary (the always welcome Geraldine James) and heads for the local nightclub. (The electronic dance music thumping in the background suggests the timeframe is actually modern-day).

There, she’s almost raped outside by a guy she picks up in the club, but Pascal (Flynn), a passing game poacher, comes to her rescue. Covered in interesting nicks and scars, the ultimate bit of sexy rough, Pascal is a working-class loner who moves in quite different circles to Moll, working as a tour guide on tourist buses and singing in the church choir conducted by her mother. But something about the dead rabbits and the feral smell of Pascal attracts Moll, who has her own dark past, having once gotten into serious trouble for attacking a schoolmate as a girl.

When the police turn their attention to Pascal as a suspect after yet another young girl has been found raped and murdered in the woods, Moll cleaves even closer to him, determined to stand by her man despite the judgment of her mother, her family and society in general.

The suspense is competently eked out, but what’s more interesting here is the way Pearce and his collaborators twiddle the dials with disconcerting use of sound and zooms that create an awesome Nic Roeg-style retro vibe, and an unsettling use of space that makes the natural world feel much more like a place of danger rather than beauty. Per the film’s press notes, the crew only filmed for a week on the real Jersey itself, and one has to wonder if the local film commission might have possibly had issues with the script that hardly paints the island in the most flattering light.

Taking the theme suggested by the title and really running with it, Buckley and Flynn both have terrifically expressive, interestingly not-quite-perfect faces, full of character and intelligence. Each projects a feral sexuality, a rangy angularity that’s reminiscent of graceful wild animals, beautiful but dangerous, and watching them at work is like seeing a superior wildlife documentary with sex and slaughter thrown in for good measure. In a good way.

Production companies: Agile Films, Stray Bear Films Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Trystan Gravelle , Geraldine James, Shannon Tarbet Director-screenwriter: Michael Pearce Producers: Ivana Mackinnon , Lauren Dark, Kristian Brodie Executive producers: Myles Payne, David Staniland , Natascha Wharton, Sam Lavender, David Kosse Director of photography: Benjamin Kracun Production designer: Laura Ellis-Cricks Costume designer: Jo Thompson Editor: Maya Maffioli Music: Jim Williams Music supervisor: Jen Moss Casting: Julie Harkin Venue: Toronto International Film Festival Sales: Protagonist Pictures

107 minutes

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Beast Parent Guide

The film is hopelessly derivative but at least it moves quickly through its predictable plot..

Theaters: Dr. Nate Daniels has brought his two daughters to a South African game reserve run by an old friend in an attempt to reconnect with them after the death of their mother. But what was meant to be a healing vacation takes a violent turn when a rogue lion begins stalking his family.

Release date August 19, 2022

Run Time: 93 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

Since the death of his wife, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) has struggled to maintain his relationship with his daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries). He has a plan to fix it with a big trip to South Africa; specifically, he wants to bring the girls to their late mother’s hometown, right next to the incredible Mopani Game Reserve, and take them for a little safari while they’re there. Thankfully, he’s good friends with Martin (Sharlto Copley), a local game warden, who gives them a tour of the restricted areas of the game park. Things seem to be going well…until they stumble across a village full of corpses and big lion tracks.

Nate and his girls make it back to the jeep before the lion can get his teeth into them but Martin is still in the bush, and the jeep is stuck. If they have any hope of getting out of the park alive, they’re going to need to act fast…and avoid the incredible and implacable predator who just added them to his menu.

To give credit where credit is due, this film is far less aggravating than Endangered Species , which mostly irritated me for a refusal to kill off its characters in the first ten minutes. The dialogue isn’t much better in Beast , but there’s a lot less of it, which is leaps and bounds in the right direction. The film also has the good sense to keep its runtime down to 90 minutes, so if you can ignore smaller grievances, the film will move on to something else – usually, something a little less annoying.

As R-rated survival thrillers go, this one is pretty tame. Sure, some of the lion attack scenes look like the director watched The Revenant one too many times, but there’s hardly any profanity, no sex, and only brief drinking. If I’m being honest, most of the film consists of characters screaming or looking around nervously. While Beast is entirely too gruesome for younger viewers, older teens might have some fun with this thoroughly by-the-numbers flick. It’s definitely best suited to any audience that isn’t going to pay too much attention, and it’s hard to find a less attentive audience than most teenagers.

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Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for beast.

Beast Rating & Content Info

Why is Beast rated R? Beast is rated R by the MPAA For violent content, bloody images and some language.

Violence: Many people are mauled by a lion. An individual is killed in an explosion. Bodies are seen with grievous injuries. Animals are shot and killed on screen, and their bodies are seen hanging from meat hooks. Sexual Content: None. Profanity: There are three sexual expletives, eight scatological terms, and infrequent uses of mild profanity and terms of deity in the script. Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are seen drinking to excess on one occasion.

Page last updated January 13, 2024

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Obviously, the film bears a close resemblance to Endangered Species . Other survival thrillers include Cujo, Predator, Prey , The Grey , Jungle, The Revenant , 127 Hours , and Underwater . Genre fans may also enjoy films like Alien , Jaws , Crawl , Deep Blue Sea, The Meg , or Jurassic Park .

Film Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Disney's live-action remake of its 1991 animated classic, starring Emma Watson as a pitch-perfect Belle, is a sometimes entrancing, sometimes awkward mixture of re-creation and reimagining.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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You could say that the notion of turning beloved stories and characters into brands was invented by Walt Disney. He built his empire on the image of Mickey Mouse (who made his debut in 1928), but Disney really patented the brand concept in 1955, with the launch of Disneyland, where kids could see old familiar characters — Mickey! Snow White! — in a completely different context, which made them new. Twenty-three years ago, the Broadway version of “ Beauty and the Beast ” (followed three years later by the Broadway version of “The Lion King”) introduced a different form of re-branding: the stage-musical-based-on-an-animated-feature. Now the studio is introducing a cinematic cousin to that form with the deluxe new movie version of “Beauty and the Beast,” a $160 million live-action re-imagining of the 1991 Disney animated classic. It’s a lovingly crafted movie, and in many ways a good one, but before that it’s an enraptured piece of old-is-new nostalgia.

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There’s a lot riding on “Beauty and the Beast.” Given its sheer novelty value (the live-action “Cinderella” released by Disney in 2015 wasn’t really cued to the 1950 cartoon version), the picture seems destined to score decisively at the box office. But the larger question hanging over it is: How major — how paradigm-shifting — can this new form be? Is it a fad or a revolution? Disney already has a live-action “Lion King” in the works, but it remains to be seen whether transforming animated features into dramas with sets and actors can be an inspired, or essential, format for the future.

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Going into “Beauty and the Beast,” the sheer curiosity factor exerts a uniquely intense lure. Is the movie as transporting and witty a romantic fantasy as the animated original? Does it fall crucially short? Or is it in some ways better? The answer, at different points in the film, is yes to all three, but the bottom line is this: The new “Beauty and the Beast” is a touching, eminently watchable, at times slightly awkward experience that justifies its existence yet never totally convinces you it’s a movie the world was waiting for.

A good animated fairy tale is, of course, more than just a movie — it’s a whole universe. The form was invented by Disney eighty years ago, with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), a film I still think has never been surpassed, and when you watch something as transporting as “Snow White” — or “Bambi,” or “Toy Story,” or “Beauty and the Beast” — every gesture and background and choreographed flourish, from the facial expressions to the drip-drop of water, flows together with a poetic unity. That’s the catchy miracle of great animation.

When you watch the new “Beauty and the Beast,” you’re in a prosaic universe of dark and stormy sets, one that looks a lot like other (stagy) films you’ve seen. The visual design, especially in the Beast’s majestic curlicued castle, is gentrified gothic — Tim Burton de-quirked. At the beginning, when Belle (Emma Watson) walks out of her house and wanders through the village singing “Belle,” that lovely lyrical meet-the-day ode that mingles optimism with a yearning for something more, the shots and beats are all in place, the spirit is there, you can see within 15 seconds that Emma Watson has the perfect perky soulfulness to bring your dream of Belle to life — and still, the number feels like something out of one of those overly bustling big-screen musicals from the late ’60s that helped to bury the studio system. It’s not that the director, Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “The Twilight Saga”), does anything too clunky or square. It’s that the material loses its slapstick spryness when it’s not animated. The sequence isn’t bad, it’s just…standard.

That’s true of most of the first part of the movie, right up until the point when Belle rescues her kindly inventor father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), from the Beast’s castle — where he’s being held prisoner for having assaulted a flower — by trading places with him. Belle, a wistful bookworm, is the odd girl out in her village, and she has already brushed off several encounters with Gaston (Luke Evans), the duplicitous hunk who became a new Disney archetype (in “Frozen,” etc.): the handsome, big-chinned, icky monomaniacal two-faced suitor. On first meeting, however, the Beast seems nearly as dark. He’s a prince who was cursed and turned into a monster for having no love in him, and the best thing about the movie — as well as its biggest divergence from the animated version — is that he’s a strikingly downbeat character, a petulant and morose romantic trapped in a body that makes him feel nothing less than doomed.

He’s played by Dan Stevens, a British actor who out of makeup looks like a bland version of Ryan Gosling, but the makeup and effects artists have done an extraordinary job of transforming him into a hairy hulking figure with ram horns, the face of a saddened lion having an existential meltdown, and the voice of Darth Vader channeling Hugh Grant. Visually, the characterization makes a nod to the scowling-eyed Beast from Jean Cocteau’s immortal “Beauty and the Beast” (1946), but he also comes off as a kind of royal version of the Elephant Man: a melancholy freak trapped in solitude. I loved that for a good long while, he’s a bit of a hard-ass, a man-creature who doesn’t dare to think that Belle could love him. But then, under her gaze, he begins to soften, and his transformation is touching in a more adult way than it was in the animated version. The romance there was benign; here, it’s alive with forlorn longing.

Which is to say, the new “Beauty and the Beast” is not as kid-friendly a movie. It tries to be in certain sequences, notably those featuring Lumière the candelabra (voiced by Ewan McGregor), Cogsworth the pendulum clock (Ian McKellen), and Garderobe the wardrobe (Audra McDonald) — all of whom are basically tactile, live-action animated characters. The “Be Our Guest” musical number scrupulously revives the dancing-plate surreal exuberance of the original, but there the frenetic nuttiness was exquisite. Here it tips between exhilarating and exhausting, because you can feel the special-effects heavy lifting that went into it.

I keep comparing “Beauty and the Beast” to the animated version, which raises a question: Is that what we’re supposed to be doing? Or should the film simply stand on its own? The movie wants to have it both ways, but then, that’s the contradictory metaphysic of reboot culture: We’re drawn in to see the old thing…but we want it to be new. The live-action “Beauty and the Beast” is different enough, and certainly, if you’ve never experienced the cartoon, it’s strong enough to stand on its own. (Josh Gad, incidentally, plays Gaston’s worshipful stooge Le Fou as maximally silly and fawning, but I must have missed the memo where that spells “gay.”) Yet it’s not really that simple, is it? The larger fantasy promoted by a movie like this one is that we’ll somehow see an animated feature “come to life.” And that may be a dream of re-branding — shared by studio and audience alike — that carries an element of creative folly. Animation, at its greatest, is already a glorious imitation of life. It’s not clear that audiences need an imitation of the imitation.

Reviewed at Lincoln Square, New York, March 2, 2017. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 129 MIN.

• Production: A Walt Disney Studios release of a Walt Disney Pictures, Mandeville Films production. Producers: David Hoberman, Todd Liebmerman. Executive producers: Don Hahn, Tomas Schumacher, Jeffrey Silver.
• Crew: Director: Bill Condon. Screenplay: Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos. Camera (color, widescreen): Tobias A. Schliessler. Editor: Virginia Katz.
• With: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci.

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Common Sense Media Review

Gory Indian action thriller has terrorism, intense violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Beast is an Indian action thriller that follows ex-intelligence agent, Veeraraghavan (Joseph Vijay), who comes to the aid of a group of civilians caught up in a mall hijacking. The movie has severe violence, blood, and gore. There are bombs, blasts, grenades, crashes, missiles, guns,…

Why Age 16+?

The film deals with terrorism and has significant violence and gore. Numerous bo

Apple products such as iMacs and MacBooks are shown. Characters drive Audi cars

Multiple scenes where people are seen smoking. Alcohol is present in characters'

Lots of cheesy flirting and romance. There are multiple sexualized song and danc

"Crazy," "bloody," "idiot," "hell," "heck," "get lost," "beast," "gorilla," "wre

Any Positive Content?

The film exposes the evils of terrorism. Bravery, perseverance, and courage are

Veeraraghavan goes to great lengths to prevent terrorist activities. He is brave

All the characters are Indian; the film pans across different parts of India. As

Violence & Scariness

The film deals with terrorism and has significant violence and gore. Numerous bombs are planted, there are blasts from grenades and missiles, people are injured as a result. In one such blast, a character falls from one floor to another. Armed persons keep hostages. Rifles, guns, and knives are pointed at people and used to hurt or kill them. Someone's arm is chopped off; intense blood and gore. There is crossfire. People are seen falling off buildings. Characters' heads are smashed with glass bottles. A child dies in a blast. Cars hit people and crash. A child is shown in the hospital after a surgical procedure, there are conversations about their brain tumor. Discussions about someone's blood pressure. There are various forms of torture shown -- repeated smacking on the head, finger twisting, in the hospital a child's medical support is tampered with as torture. Individuals are tied up; there is kicking, punching, slapping, throat slitting, etc. A child is violently pulled. Someone's head is grotesquely chopped off with an axe. There are dialogues about strangling, trampling, skinning, burying alive, and hurting people. Threats. A mall is hijacked, there are gunshots, people are held hostage, and in distress. Suicide bombers are shown.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Apple products such as iMacs and MacBooks are shown. Characters drive Audi cars and Range Rovers. A significant portion of the film is set in a mall with several banners displaying brands such as L'Oréal, Chanel, KFC, McDonalds, and Dominos.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Multiple scenes where people are seen smoking. Alcohol is present in characters' vicinity.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lots of cheesy flirting and romance. There are multiple sexualized song and dance sequences; some hugging.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Crazy," "bloody," "idiot," "hell," "heck," "get lost," "beast," "gorilla," "wretch," "buffalo," "monkey," "dammit," and "hog."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The film exposes the evils of terrorism. Bravery, perseverance, and courage are required to survive through excruciating conditions. But violence is used at the earliest opportunity.

Positive Role Models

Veeraraghavan goes to great lengths to prevent terrorist activities. He is brave and courageous but quick to resort to violence. Preethi is the mere romantic interest in the film and barely contributes to the plot.

Diverse Representations

All the characters are Indian; the film pans across different parts of India. Asian characters are depicted as terrorists and suicide bombers, which plays into stereotypes. Some representation of looking after one's mental health when a character visits their psychiatrist.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Beast is an Indian action thriller that follows ex-intelligence agent, Veeraraghavan ( Joseph Vijay ), who comes to the aid of a group of civilians caught up in a mall hijacking. The movie has severe violence, blood, and gore. There are bombs, blasts, grenades, crashes, missiles, guns, knives, axes, and all sorts of other weapons. Someone's hand is chopped off and another person is brutally beheaded. Multiple people, including children, are killed. People are kept hostage, tied up, and threatened by terrorists some of whom are depicted as suicide bombers. A hospitalized child is tortured. Conversation about strangling, trampling, skinning, burying alive, and hurting people. The film has flirting, romance, and sexualized song and dance sequences. People are seen smoking and alcohol is present in the background. Language includes "crazy," "bloody," "idiot," "hell," "heck," "get lost," "beast," "gorilla," "wretch," "buffalo," "monkey," "dammit," and "hog." The film is in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi with English subtitles. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In BEAST, after an unfortunate mishap, Veeraraghavan ( Joseph Vijay ) steps away from his post as an intelligence agent. But when a mall is hijacked and civilian lives are at stake, he must spring back into action and prevent the release of a deadly criminal. Will Veeraraghavan -- accompanied by his romantic interest, Preethi ( Pooja Hegde ) -- be able to save everyone and spoil the terrorists' plans?

Is It Any Good?

This action thriller directed by Nelson Dilipkumar is a repetitive montage of gory action sequences. Beast attempts to entertain through its sexualized songs and intense combat, ignoring any need for a cohesive narrative. The film clearly stars a renowned and much celebrated cast. Yet their banal characterization, poor dialogue, and bizarre -- often silly -- violence, exposes the movie's flimsy writing. A thriller that doesn't really thrill and is rather predictable from the outset, the film tells the all-too familiar macho story of an all-encompassing, indestructible hero yet without even the slightest nuance. Hegde's character barely contributes to the plot and literally every person in the film, apart from Vijay's character, is forgettable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Beast . How did it make you feel? Did you find it over the top? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others ?

Was Preethi's representation problematic in the film? Did she contribute to the plot in any capacity or was she just a romantic interest? How can I find positive gender representations in movies and on TV?

What are the film's messages about courage and perseverance ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 13, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : May 11, 2022
• Cast : Joseph Vijay , Pooja Hegde , K. Selvaraghavan
• Director : Nelson Dilipkumar
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studios : Hamsini Entertainment , Ahimsa Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Adventures , Music and Sing-Along
• Run time : 155 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn burn off the screen in this jittery, surprising Jersey-set psycho-drama.

Time Out says

Immaculately composed yet skittish, edgy and surprising, a chill emanates from this impressive Jersey-set debut by writer-director Michael Pearce that will have you hugging your sides. In the sense that there’s a serial killer at large in it, it’s a thriller, but ‘Beast’ takes more of its cues from fairytales, throwing in moments of gothic horror and the odd dead bunny along the way. Just when you think you’ve got it pinned down, it hairpins off in a new direction.

At its heart is Jessie Buckley’s prim Moll, a twenty-something still atoning for a past mistake her controlling mum (Geraldine James) holds over her. Local wrong ’un Pascal (Johnny Flynn) offers an escape and a whiff of danger, but is he actually the killer? The gifted pair pulse with intensity, with Flynn full of folksy charisma and Buckley making a tricky part look easy. Look out for a battle of wills with a police interrogator of otherworldly menace (Olwen Fouéré).

Satisfyingly, there’s much more here than a simple whodunnit. Bubbling under the surface is a takedown of stifling middle-class mores, as well as a sidewise glance at lazy xenophobia (migrant labourers are victimised during the hunt for the killer). Pearce, a Jersey native, locates all this in two contrasting settings: affluent suburbs that abut scrubland and jagged cliffs. It feels neatly analogous to Moll herself; a strait-laced woman with wildness in her eyes. 

Release Details

• Release date: Friday 27 April 2018
• Duration: 102 mins

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• Director: Michael Pearce
• Screenwriter: Michael Pearce
• Johnny Flynn
• Jessie Buckley
• Geraldine James

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Who would have guessed that the most savage mad-dog frothing gangster in recent movies would be played by– Ben Kingsley ? Ben Kingsley, who was Gandhi, and the accountant in “ Schindler's List ,” and the publisher in “ Betrayal ,” and Dr. Watson in “ Without a Clue .” Ben Kingsley, whose previous criminal was the financial wizard Meyer Lansky in “ Bugsy “? Yes, Ben Kingsley. Or, as his character Don Logan says in “Sexy Beast,” “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes.” Logan spits the words into the face of a retired London gangster named Dove. He’s an inch away, spitting like a drill sergeant, his face red with anger, the veins throbbing on his forehead, his body coiled in rage. Dove ( Ray Winstone ), whose nickname is “Gal,” lives in a villa on the Costa del Sol in Spain with his wife, Deedee ( Amanda Redman ), also retired, she from the porn business. He has no desire to return to London to assist in “one last job,” a bank heist being masterminded by Logan’s boss, Teddy ( Ian McShane ).

But you can’t say no to Don Logan. This is what Dove says about him before he arrives in Spain, and when we meet him, we agree. Logan is dangerous not because he is tough, but because he is fearless and mad. You cannot intimidate a man who has no ordinary feelings. Logan is like a pit bull, hard-wired and untrainable. It’s in his nature to please his master and frighten people. He has a disconcerting habit of suddenly barking out absurdities: He has a lopsided flywheel.

“Sexy Beast” is in a tradition of movies about Cockney villains. It goes on the list with “ The Long Good Friday ” and “ The Limey .” It loves its characters: Dove, the gangster gone soft; Logan, who is driven to impose his will on others; Teddy, who has a cockeyed plan to drill into a safe-deposit vault from the pool of the Turkish bath next to the bank, and Harry ( James Fox ), who owns the bank and thinks he is Teddy’s lover when in fact he is simply the man who owns the bank.

The heist is absurd in its own way, once Dove gets to London and helps mastermind it. The burglars have total access to the Turkish bath, but it never occurs to them to drain the pool, and so they wear breathing gear while drilling through the walls of the vault next door. The vault predictably fills with water, leading to a wonderful moment when a crook opens a deposit box, finds a container inside, opens it expecting diamonds and gets a surprise.

The movie opens on an ominous note. While Dove works on his suntan, a boulder bounces down the slope behind his villa, barely misses him and lands in the pool. In the movie’s second act, Logan is the boulder. Kingsley’s performance has to be seen to be believed. He’s angry, seductive, annoyed, wheedling, fed up, ominous and out of his mind with frustration. I didn’t know Kingsley had such notes inside him. Obviously, he can play anyone.

His best scene may be the one when Logan gets on the airplane to fly out of Spain, and the attendant asks him to put out his cigarette. Anyone who lights a cigarette on an airplane these days is asking for it, but Logan is begging for a fight. Notice the improvised lies with which he talks his way out of jail and possibly into a nice check from the airline.

Ray Winstone’s work is as strong, but not as flashy. He can play monsters, too: He was an abusive father in Gary Oldman’s “ Nil by Mouth ” and Tim Roth’s “ The War Zone ,” and it says something when those two actors cast him as their villain. His Dove is a gangster gone soft, fond of the good life, doting on his wife, able to intimidate civilians but frankly frightened of Logan.

The movie’s humor is inseparable from its brutality. The crime boss Teddy (suave and vicious) offers to drive Dove to the airport after the bank job, and that leads to a series of unexpected developments–some jolting, others with deep irony. These are hard men. They could have the Sopranos for dinner, throw up and have them again.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Cavan Kendall as Aitch
• Alvaro Monje as Enrique
• Julianne White as Jackie
• James Fox as Harry
• Amanda Redman as Deedee Dove
• Ben Kingsley as Don Logan
• Ian McShane as Teddy Bass
• David Scinto
• Louis Mellis

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‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Doesn’t Disappoint—But Should Be Way Wackier

IT’S SHOWTIME!

The hotly anticipated “Beetlejuice” sequel just premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It’s certainly a fun time, but, like its title, feels woefully repetitive.

Barry Levitt

Freelance Writer

Warner Bros.

VENICE, Italy—Set long after the events of the 1988 film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finds Lydia Deetz ( Winona Ryder ) now working as a television host of Ghost House , a paranormal home show that finds her helping couples rid their homes of ghosts. Her teenage daughter Astrid ( Jenna Ortega ) barely talks to her after the death of her father. But it’s not all bad: Lydia’s in a relationship with Rory ( Justin Theroux ), the show’s producer, and her life seems to be going smoothly.

That is until she starts to see visions of Betelgeuse ( Michael Keaton ) again. Things are complicated further when Lydia’s stepmother Delia (a delightful Catherine O’Hara ) informs her that her father was killed in a plane crash.

This brings Lydia, Astrid, Rory, and Delia back to their family home on the hill in Wind River where much of the first Beetlejuice took place. The preceding events feel more like convenient narrative machinations to remind us that this is indeed a sequel than important details to the plot. Thankfully, after a clumsy first act, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t too invested in what came before, delivering enough respect for the OG to satisfy nostalgists while moving into its own world.

But don’t forget about that Betelgeuse—he has problems of his own. He’s still pining after Lydia, but his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has put herself back together (literally) and is determined to get her love back. But Betelgeuse doesn’t want her. Still, she’s a soul sucker, a powerful demon that can eliminate someone in the blink of an eye, and her power is so strong it takes them out of the afterlife for good. Bellucci is spellbinding in this. She has just a few lines of dialogue, but her mere screen presence is enchanting.

Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder

Beetlejuice is best remembered for its distinct and eye-popping style, memorable characters, and music (even if you didn’t like the original, it reminded the world how terrific Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)” is). It’s the kind of movie that showcases what Tim Burton does so well—creating unforgettable fantasy worlds that straddle reality. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t quite capture the irresistible magic of the original, it’s full of stylistic wonder and fun characters.

Aesthetics have always been essential to Tim Burton movies, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice maintains the visually adventurous spirit of the original. The afterlife is hauntingly detailed with uneven hallways that evoke early German expressionism and gruesome characters everywhere you look. The makeup and visual effects are exquisite, with some terrific gags that are the film’s best moments. There are also a few key sequences that flip the film on its head, including a stop-motion moment that details the death of Lydia’s father, and a black-and-white monologue from Betelgeuse delivered in Italian that evokes gothic horror movies.

In true sequel style, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice features some of the great characters you remember, and a host of quirky new ones too, including Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), an actor who can’t stop playing a cop in the afterlife, and Danny DeVito as a grumbling janitor. Needle drops are smartly used for comic effect, including an especially funny funeral sequence that recalls the original film’s hefty use of Belafonte music.

Much of the humor maintains a strong blend of charming slapstick and macabre that made Beetlejuice memorable, but there’s more of an investment into a family drama that doesn’t meet the energy that the afterlife world delivers. This is where the sequel falters. It’s all overly familiar territory—a child is disconnected from one parent after the death of another—and the emotional moments feel rushed so the film can return to slapsticky fun. Lydia herself is written as a disappointingly thin character in this sequel, and despite a game effort from Ryder, she is reduced to reacting uncomfortably rather than doing much until the final act.

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder

The script by Wednesday creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar over-commits to the rote human world when the afterlife remains far more enticing. The movie sometimes feels like it’s trying to be Wednesday , with Ortega’s character also being at boarding school and outcast by her peers. The titular bio-exorcist takes a back seat to the living characters this time, and Keaton’s given a lot less to do as the menacing maniac. He has a couple of fun moments, but he’s overshadowed by a plot that’s more interested in reality than fantasy. By the time the fantasy fully takes over, it’s so rushed that it leaves you wishing the writers would have committed to the madness a lot earlier.

When it steps back from reality and plumbs the depths of the afterlife, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a lot of fun. The final 10 minutes are tremendous (and tremendously ridiculous) while finally giving Betelgeuse his due, and Burton finds a pitch-perfect ’60s song to resurrect in glorious effect. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice possesses a lot of what has made the original movie a bonafide classic, even if the script forgets that too often.

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Dying Light: The Beast is a revenge story for Kyle Crane: 'basically like the movie Old Boy's premise, but with zombies'

Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektala tells PC Gamer that Techland's new game is like a "double espresso, because it's short, but super powerful."

Techland announced the next game in the Dying Light series today at Gamescom's Opening Night Live. It's called Dying Light: The Beast, and it takes place about a decade after the original game and before the events of Dying Light 2.

It also brings back Kyle Crane, the main character of the original Dying Light—though he didn't live happily ever after. Speaking to PC Gamer, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektala laid out the story that starts with Crane, after being held captive and experimented on for over a decade, escaping and seeking revenge.

"Half-jokingly, you could say that this is basically like the movie Old Boy's premise, but with zombies," Smektala said.

You may remember some buzz back in 2022 around Techland saying Dying Light 2 would take 500 hours to fully complete , and the natural skepticism that came along with that claim. According to Smektala, The Beast doesn't have those kinds of aspirations. 

"It's going to be basically a fully fledged open world adventure in the world of Dying Light, very similar to Dying Light 1 or Dying Light 2, though slightly more compact," Smektala said. "My favorite joke about it is that it is like a double espresso, because it's short, but super powerful, and full of everything that Dying Light does best." Smektala said he expects the main story to take around 10 hours to complete, adding that "it all depends on your gameplay style. There's lots of additional content [and an] environment that's very unique, full of secrets."

As for Crane's beast powers, Smektala didn't want to reveal too much at this stage. Crane will have a new skill tree that will "make Kyle more than just a human," allowing him to "traverse more effectively, jump higher, run faster," is all he was willing to say.

Dying Light: The Beast was originally intended to be DLC for Dying Light 2: Stay Human , but after two years of development Techland decided it was big enough to be its own standalone game. It will be free to owners of Dying Light 2: Stay Human Ultimate Edition.

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The new game also won't mean the end of support for Dying Light 2. "We have promised that Dying Light 2 will be supported for five years, and we are sticking to this promise," Smektala said. "We still have some updates planned for this year." 

Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the late 2000s. Following a few years as a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably so he'd stop emailing them asking for more work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own.

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