In Beast, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) and his daughters, Norah (Leah Jeffries) and Meredith (Iyana Halley), journey to his late wife’s home village in Africa. There, they connect with Martin (Sharlto Copley), a wildlife conservationist dedicated to protecting the local fauna from poachers. During a visit to a nearby village, they are confronted with a gruesome scene: the village has been decimated, seemingly by a lion. Given the atypical nature of such behavior in lions, the Samuels family and Martin soon find themselves in a desperate fight for survival as the animal targets them relentlessly. Their only recourse is to endure until rescue arrives.
It’s unlikely that author Peter Benchley fully grasped the impact of his 1974 novel, Jaws. The following year, Steven Spielberg, then 31, adapted the book into a film. Legend has it that the film’s premiere effectively coined the term Blockbuster. Subsequently, numerous filmmakers attempted to replicate the success of the “humans versus nature” genre, with films ranging from Joe Dante’s piranhas to Frank Marshall’s spiders, along with various mutated creature features like the underground worms in Tremors.
The core premise is straightforward: place ordinary individuals in extraordinary circumstances, pitting them against an unusually large and aggressive creature that attacks with relentless determination. Some characters will inevitably perish, others will survive, and, potentially, a series of sequels may follow.
In Beast, the “luck” factor impacts the king of the savanna, the lion. The screenwriters repeatedly emphasize the atypical behavior of the lion, even offering some insight into the creature’s motives for targeting humans. However, the direction by Baltasar Kormákur falters, placing the protagonists in situations where their survival hinges on the lion’s arbitrary decisions NOT to kill them. For instance, the lion attempts to bite Nate under the car but inexplicably gives up instead of utilizing its powerful forelegs and claws to simply drag him out. This contrasts sharply with sharks, which lack such appendages. Despite a concise 90-minute runtime, Beast suffers from a weak setup and pacing issues, with some sequences dragging while others feel rushed and underdeveloped, particularly towards the film’s conclusion.
The standout element of the film is undoubtedly Idris Elba’s performance. He consistently delivers compelling performances, even in projects with significant flaws. Sharlto Copley also provides a welcome presence; his appearance was a pleasant surprise. Iyana Halley and Leah Jeffries, portraying the daughters, demonstrate competent acting skills, although their characters are particularly grating. Even before the central conflict arises, their on-screen personas are irritating, making it difficult to invest in their well-being once danger emerges, especially considering their questionable decision-making in the face of a predatory lion. I will refrain from providing specific details to avoid spoilers.
A particularly impressive aspect of the film is the quality of the CGI lions. A scene featuring Copley’s character interacting with one of the lions is rendered with remarkable realism.
Beast is not available in 4K format, either domestically or internationally, limiting the format choice to Blu-ray. The image remains stable even during rapid panning shots, and I observed no compression artifacts. The color palette is pleasing, and the image quality holds up well in darker scenes. However, the opening sequence exhibits a noticeable digital blur, rendering the image somewhat unfocused. This artifact appears to be inherent to the film itself rather than a fault of the release. The audio is presented in DTS Master Audio 7.1. It is regrettable that the distributor opted against including a Dolby Atmos track, particularly given the film’s short runtime and the absence of supplementary material. The omission of extra features is disappointing, especially considering the availability of additional content in import versions. This is a significant shortcoming.
In conclusion, Beast offers some redeeming qualities. Despite the criticisms mentioned, the film contains moments of entertainment. Therefore, the overall rating is not entirely negative, even after deducting a point for the Blu-ray release’s lack of both Atmos support and bonus features.
SF Studios provided the review copy for this assessment. While providers of review materials have no influence on our editorial process, we maintain an independent perspective, prioritizing the interests of our readers and consumers.
