Films > Film Reviews

Beast

Cinema City

12/05/18

Stalking the screen with effective tension is this beastly feature. It certainly has bark and bite, as we see this dark thriller take hold and swallow you up.

One night Moll (Jessie Buckley) ends up dancing the night away, before crossing paths with Pascal (Johnny Flynn) the next morning. There have been a series of grim murders plaguing the island and it isn’t long until people suspect Moll’s new connection as the man behind the disappearances.

This is a debut feature from Michael Pearce who undeniably knows how to lay the tension on thick. Beast sweats out a deep and engaging psychological tale, as if Pearce is allowing us to peer through a magnifying glass at all the worrying little details possessed by Moll and Pascal. Alongside Pearce’s hypnotic visuals is a score from Jim Williams that drips with almost spine-chilling wonder. The narrative is one that definitely kept me guessing and the end is one I could talk about for a long time yet, it’s visceral, unexpected and almost reaches the realm of being powerful.

Saying all of that, I don’t know whether it’s a film I’d watch again and I was a little disappointed it didn’t end up being bloodier or more twisted. The film also slightly suffers from a slow tick-tock aspect, which does make it feel a bit long. I’d definitely say the film is strongest in the first two thirds.

The acting is great. Johnny Flynn excels at playing this secretive, maybe dodgy character that turns up in Moll’s life. There’s a great balance of masculinity and softness as he gets wrapped up by the flame-haired Buckley. She’s incredible, going through emotions aplenty and each one is fantastically performed. It’s almost a tour de force show she puts on and Moll comes to vivid and horrific life thanks to this.

This could be bad or good but I still don’t really know how I feel with Beast’and perhaps that’s testament to how fearlessly different it is. The movie is rife with tension and I can safely say that its two leading stars ensure you cannot look away.

7/10