The Beast Within movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Beast Within

This nightmarish fantasy releases theatrically nationwide on July 26, 2024.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 37 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the heart of the ancient forest. But upon witnessing her father undergo a terrible transformation, she too becomes ensnared by the dark ancestral secret they’ve tried so desperately to conceal.

The creepy film was directed by Alexander J. Farrell, who also co-wrote it with Greer Ellison.

THINGS I LIKED:

The first thing we see on the screen when the film begins are the words from a famous Cherokee proverb: “There are two wolves inside all of us…they are always at war.” What the movie doesn’t tell you is the rest of that story. One of the wolves is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. Which one wins? The jolting answer is “whichever one you feed.” It describes the inner conflict we all struggle with at times.
The cinematography is gorgeous.
A lot of the action occurs off of the screen, which I actually appreciate. I don’t have to see every violent, gory detail. This movie is extremely rare in that it illustrates the art of subtlety. We know that terrible things are happening and we hear sound effects to confirm it, but we don’t see it all. It takes great restraint and control to create a compelling movie that doesn’t show everything but is still able to build tension. Not everyone is going to like that technique, however.
The small cast includes Game of Thrones fan favorite Kit Harington, as well as James Cosmo, Ashleigh Cummings, and Caoilinn Springall. I was impressed with each of their performances.
Great sound design.
The movie shows us some backstory scenes, each time giving us a little bit more information. We slowly learn what’s going on, just like the young daughter experiences.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some green screen is used.
Sometimes, it’s hard to see what’s happening in the night scenes because they’re so dark.
If the monster was supposed to be a werewolf, it looked more like a bear. We have to wait in suspense until the very end to see it.
There are a lot of flashbacks that might make understanding the timeline difficult. One thing I liked about the timeline is that we’re fed bits and pieces throughout the entire movie, slowly giving us more information each time.
If you’re expecting lots of blow-by-low action and gore, you’ll be very disappointed.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Some profanity, including a few F-bombs
We see some blood and gore

THEMES:

Family secrets
Family
Parenting
Legacy
Trust

FUNNY LINES:

None. This is a serious drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

“You are the monster!” – mother (Ashleigh Cummings)
“Your grandpa is a good man. Not everyone gets that lucky.” – father (Kit Harrington)
“I’m a coward and I’m a monster.” – father (Kit Harrington)

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE: