Review: Beast

Idris Elba stars in this man vs. animal thriller, as our J.P. gives his thoughts on “Beast.”

Beast
Universal

• Directed by: Baltasar Kormákur
• Screenplay by: Ryan Engle
• Story by: Jaime Primak Sullivan
• Produced by: James Lopez, Will Packer, Jaime Primak Sullivan
• Starring: Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, Sharlto Copley
• Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
• Edited by: Jay Rabinowitz
• Music by: Steven Price

Studio Synopsis:

Sometimes the rustle in the bushes actually is a monster. Idris Elba (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “The Suicide Squad”) stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator. Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley, “Russian Doll” series, “Maleficent”), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them.

JP’s Take:

At first glance, “Beast,” starring the able-bodied actor Idris Elba, appears to be a major action machine from start to finish. However, what I experienced was something a bit more tame than expected.

We connect with the Samuels family through a recent tragedy, as Dr. Nate (Elba) and his daughters, 13-year-old Norah (Leah Jeffries) and 18-year-old Meredith “Mere” Samuels (Iyana Halley), mourn the death of his wife, their mother. The trio embarks on a long-planned trip to her homeland of South Africa to reestablish themselves as a family and for a much-needed vacation. They are greeted by long-time friend Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), a biologist/anti-poacher and warden of a wildlife game reserve, who promises the Samuels family a mini safari around the protected habitat.

As night falls, Nate, Norah, and Mere gather for dinner with Martin to reminisce about old times. The laughs turn into a heated discussion as the eldest daughter, Mere, reveals that Nate hasn’t always been there for her, her sister, and her mother. Nate promised his children that he would protect them at all costs after their mother fell ill with cancer. The daughters feel betrayed by their father’s broken promise and hold a grudge against him. The next day Martin takes the trio out for a mini safari and stops by a designated area for the lions. At this juncture of the film, it becomes clear that the contrast between the Samuels family and the pride of lions is blatant. Martin explains how the pride of lions keeps their family unit in order, stating that the males stay home to protect the family while the females go off to hunt and provide for them.

In terms of suspense/thrillers, I give “Beast” kudos for the build-up. The pacing was immediate and kept viewers hanging on every minute. For a movie that’s only 1 hour 33 minutes, the suspense was palpable enough to keep me watching. Hearing about an intelligent, man-hunting beast that doesn’t eat its prey, yet stalks and eventually kills them, comes right out of the playbook from “Jaws.”

However, my frustration lies within the set-up of what’s to become their worst nightmare. Knowing these details, you’d expect the characters to prepare themselves for what’s to come. Instead, we’re met with some flimsy plot pieces leaving viewers annoyed at its progression.

One prime example is in the initial encounter with this BEAST. Martin, Nate, and the girls continue touring the premises and come to an area considered a dead zone, where the radio signal is spare and there is little contingency for help. Just up the road, they spot an injured man, who appeared to have deep gashes across his upper body. In an attempt to give aid to the man, Martin hears a distinct roar from the grassy area nearby. He frantically orders Nate and his daughters back into the truck while he tracks the brute. When I watching the film I kept asking myself, “why don’t they pick up the injured man, get back in the truck and go for help?” At least they’ll live to fight another day.

Although I understood Martin’s concerns in buying them time, it wasn’t worth the risk. Instead, the beast attacks Nate and the girls, trapping them in the truck, and leaving Martin exposed to the beast’s attacks as well. Nate and his daughters are left defenseless with inadequate medical supplies and weapons. In the same instance, the daughters want to mount a rescue mission to collect Martin. Their methods were thwarted once again, due to the missed opportunities to make a great escape. As the beastly lion launches another assault, they make a last-ditch effort to get away. Nate tells Mere to start the car and punch the accelerator. Making a blind escape is not a very wise thing to do, yet out of desperation, they end up stranding themselves, as the truck topples over a tree, while hanging over a rocky cliff by sheer luck.

You can bet you’ll find other irritating circumstances throughout the remainder of the film, like the ones mentioned above. One last exasperating moment happens near the end, when Nate, Norah, and Mere finally escape the lion’s clutches and seek refuge at the old school they saw at the beginning. While rummaging through the building for bandages, weapons, and other tools, Nate does the one thing you should never do while hiding away. Let’s just say he leaves the doors wide open, practically inviting the beast to come to get them. While it becomes apparent that they weren’t ever going to get rid of this monster, it then transforms into a man versus creature situation that feels unrealistic.

There were ferocious moments, even bloody and cringe-worthy scenes. Nothing super gory, however. Much of the action felt muted, despite the snarling, charred, gritty-looking CGIed apex predator. The scenes where the creature lunged at its prey or lurked in hidden areas were unpredictable and alarming, yet lost their effectiveness the rest of the way. I felt it could have taken full advantage of its R rating.

I have to hand it to the cast, which primarily consisted of Elba, Copley, Halley, and Jeffries, who kept the spirit of the story alive. They made the most of the situations they were placed in, even though some of the dialogue was frivolous. When it was all said and done, the essence of the story was clear. Nate never stopped loving his family and despite the mistakes made along the way, he fought tooth and nail to save them.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur (“101 Reykjavík,” “The Sea,” “2 Guns,” “Everest”), Beast” is not the most compelling family story, yet at its core, it’s a lightly sentimental anecdote about fatherhood. Just don’t expect it to be the outright BEAST of a creature feature.