Movie Review: Beast (2022)

September 3, 2022 / Leave a Comment

BEAST

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
SEPTEMBER 3, 2022

“Death came calling to my wife and daughters and I wasn’t there to say no you can’t have them.”
— Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba)

If the formula works, why change it? “Beast” is nothing new. It’s “Jaws” in the bush. The nice thing is director Baltasar Kormákur knows it. At one point, a character wears a “Jurassic Park” t-shirt. To his credit, Kormákur never makes you think of those other films. If you’re willing to give it a chance, “Beast” is made palatable with decent performances and expertly crafted tension.

The premise sees Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) traveling to stunning South Africa with his two daughters, Mere and Nora. Having lost the family’s matriarch, Samuels and his girls return to her home at the Mopani Reserve, where a family friend, Martin (Sharlto Copley), still resides. What should be a relaxing safari of reminiscing and bonding turns dark relatively quickly.

Poachers in the land have killed one lion’s pride. In what appears to be an evolutionary step, the lion resorts to seeking and mauling every human it comes into contact with, including our protagonists. The visual effects of the lion are flawless. Apart from having an actual lion on set, I’m not sure you could do much better.

Some melodrama between Samuels and his daughters ends up being the weakest portions of the film.

Elba and Copley are pros. Their chemistry and performances make the terror of the situation come to life. What could easily have been a B-movie meant for straight-to-DVD consumption becomes a worthwhile outing worthy of the big screen.