What makes “Beast” fun is its heart is in the right place. Elba must act tough in certain scenes, but the toughness is not the point of the movie. Neither does it seek to be an exploitation film like “Pirhana” or the legion of shark attack movies that have followed “Jaws.” It also works because “Beast” is, at its core, a drama. Elba plays Nate Samuels, a physician on retreat with his two daughters (Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley). They’re teenagers, or thereabouts, reeling from the death of their mother (and Nate’s ex-wife) recently from cancer. The older of the two (Halley) carries resentment, which Nate lets roll of his shoulder in that pained way that lets you know how helpless he feels. Along also is Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), a long-time friend of the family and South African native (this film takes place in a remote region outside of Johannesburg).
Cinematography and Thrills are Top-Notch
What I like about this film is its cinematography works hard to show how utterly beautiful its African plains are, and it takes pains to be about more than the “Cujo”-esque thriller its trailer would have you believe. No, it’s not heartbreakingly deep or anything like that, and you’ll doubtless know how the film will end up halfway through. But it’s appealing in the way it approaches its characters, and also in the way it sounds a protective drum for its subject/antagonist — lions — even though you know the one that is trying to kill this family has got to go.
There’s also the believability — somewhat — in the situation the family (along with Battles) find themselves in. A group of poachers have killed an entire lion pride, save one, who has gone rogue and is killing any human it comes across. Along the way we get a crash course on lion behavior: this rogue is acting out of character. Mostly the female lions hunt, while the males protect the pride. And in a very fitting bit of foreshadowing, a nature preserve worker named Banji (Tafara Nyatsanza, great in a small role) tells how male lions will kill any threat that wanders into the pride… even another lion.
But what makes “Beast” enjoyable is it is earnestly scary and tense at times, most notably when the foursome is trapped inside a disabled car as the lion attacks. It doesn’t just attack, mind you — it stalks. A scene where it stands atop a hill, glaring down at the car is especially eerie, as is another where it effectively uses Battles as bait. There’s also the stomach churning scenes that often accompany films like this, where one character or another must treat a wound with desperate measures, such as a hot knife to an open leg wound.
Believability Takes a Hit, Though
Somehow, though, the film is not really that graphic, as most of the horror is implied, rather than being an out-and-out gore-fest. The body count (well the ones that occur in real time, and not the past tense), is relatively small. That’s the film’s nice achievement, while also its liability. It’s not that there needed to be more bodies; it’s that the film sometimes fluctuates too greatly between the family, the lion, and the still moving group of poachers. It breaks the tension and takes the onus off of the survival situation “Beast” has established. However, Director Baltasar Kormákur and company take this time to work on the fractured relationship between Nate and his two daughters, which is grounded in reality. The three work as a family, and a secret uncovered about their friend Battles further sets a tone for the film’s pro-lion sentiment.
Where the film breaks down slightly is in the ridiculousness of the family going up against a lion with nothing but a tranquilizer gun, and a scene where Elba squares off against the beast with a small knife pushes the envelope a bit too far. But the whole time we get the impression of the love Nate has for his daughters — and his need to protect them — and it makes the situations more believable. It also helps that Nate isn’t superman here: he gets profoundly injured in the process. The end of the film is kind of like a jolt of adrenaline sandwiched between CGI on one side, and an ending that reels itself in enough to land as somewhat credible.
Still an Enjoyable Ride
But at the end of the day, despite its faults, “Beast” is an enjoyable film. Yes, it’s predictable, but also yes, it’s films like this that used to be the reason we went to the movies. It allows you to like its characters, get into its situations, and hope that they survive. It lacks the isolation and tension of the great “The Edge,” and is something we’ve seen done before. But so what? In a sea of Oscar contenders and comic-book installments it’s something new. Elba is in great form, and the rest of the cast is fun too. If you’re looking for a film to watch with action and intrigue to pass the time, you could do a lot worse than “Beast.”
“Beast” is currently available to watch on streaming platforms.
