The Beast Within (2024) – Film Review

The beast within2024.

Directed by: Alexander J. Farrell.
Starring Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, Caoilinn Springall, Adam Basil, Ian Giles and Martina McClements.

SUMMARY:

After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilderness, 10-year-old Willow follows her parents on one of their secret nighttime treks into the heart of the forest.

Where is a film supposed to go when the central metaphor is painfully obvious early on? The beast within Director Alexander J. Farrell doesn’t really seem to know and tries to disguise this in a story full of mystery and terror. It’s admirable that he lets the film unfold from the humble and innocent perspective of a 10-year-old daughter, but in doing so he keeps the viewer one step ahead practically until the climax. This also wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the characters had some depth, which the film sees as the child inducing an illness that conveniently requires oxygen in moments of terror and, as expected, usually loses that source of air during danger.

Beginning with the all-too-common adage, “There’s two wolves inside,” it becomes clear that the literal beast that Kit Harington’s Noah mutates into once a month may not be the only beast to worry about. If you suspect that this family drama is not so secretly about domestic violence, then you’re right. And although Kit Harington takes pains to portray a complex father who can snap at any moment and turn into a figurative beast, he keeps his wife Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) and his child Willow (Caoilinn Springall) out of the way, despite their outward appearances physical rage, the film is still nothing more than a metaphor that needed more time and another rewrite (Farrell also wrote the screenplay alongside Greer Ellison) to create something compelling from this dynamic.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the Beast’s design, which is also generic and shrouded in darkness to cover up the seemingly low special effects budget. However, creative aesthetics and unsettling, unusual designs can always overcome these budget constraints. This is nothing more than the most famous werewolf story.

Imogen takes Noah into the forest once a month to tie him up and ensure that he doesn’t mortally harm anyone he loves during one of his regular transformations. Curious about what’s actually happening, why her father disappears once a month, and why her mother has bruises and marks all over her body (the first clue to the viewer that it’s probably not all connected to the literal monster), Willow sneaks away from her grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo) is supposed to follow her parents and see what happens. Luckily, Imogen understands and is able to protect Willow after the mutation.

As for Waylon, he exists primarily to explain the depiction of this generational curse. The rest The beast within is that Willow slowly learns the dark truth about her father, and this isn’t just limited to the supernatural either. For such a dangerous folkloric concept, there isn’t much scare or suspense either, and the surrounding forest isn’t exactly striking to look at or suitably threatening (it’s filtered through a faint wisp of smoke or mist, giving the impression of the eerie). environment, but I don’t feel it.)

There is a captivating scene where one observes father and daughter in the forest, with the former cutting some wood, casually chatting with her about her interest in helping, taking on great responsibilities, and the general role of a gentle and wonderful protector. In the same scene, the cruelty contained in it flashes through The beast within. This is the closest the film comes to being captivating, otherwise it is hampered by the minute scope of its obvious metaphor, which is forced upon the viewer five minutes later.

Review of the flickering myth – Movie: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the editor of Flickering Myth Reviews. Check here for new reviews, follow mine Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]

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