Director: Michael Pearce
Writer: Michael Pearce (Screenplay)
Starring: Johnny Flynn, Jessie Buckley, Geraldine James, Trystan Gravelle, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Emily Taaffe, Hattie Gotobed
Plot: A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.
Tagline – Be careful what you unleash
Runtime: 1 Hour 47 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Powerhouse Film
Story: Beast starts on Moll’s (Buckley) birthday in the remote isolated community, she is an outsider, who meets the mysterious stranger Pascal (Flynn) who helps her out from an overly eager young man. When Moll’s family meet Pascal, they take an instant dislike towards him with her mother Hilary (James) being the worst offender.
As Pascal and Moll start a dangerous relationship, the community is left in shock with the kidnapping of one of the teenage girls, Pascal becomes a suspect in the investigation, Moll is left in the middle of the investigation deciding what she wants to believe the truth to be and what the truth actually is.
Thoughts on Beast
Characters – Moll is a young lady with a troubled past, she has put her life back on track by becoming a tour guide even though she is considered an outsider. Moll starts dating an outsider, which only drives her further away from her family and friends, to a stage where people believe she is involved in the kidnappings with her new boyfriend. Pascal is an outsider too, he has a criminal recorded and is known for his illegal hunting activities, he becomes one of the prime suspects in the kidnappings which sees him needing to prove to Moll his innocence. Hilary is the mother of Moll, she is demanding of excellence, believing her daughter can only date the right people through her own eyes. Clifford is the family friend that is also a cop investigating the kidnapping that occurred, he wants to protect Moll from any danger that might come her way.
Performances – This is a performance heavy film with Jessie Buckley bursting onto the scene with her performance that is filled with regret, determination and pain, she just captures the audience’s attention through the film. Johnny Flynn gives us a wonderful supporting performance where we see just how an outsider reacts to accusation that come his way. These two are head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, with the supporting cast all performing great in their roles.
Story – The story here follows an outsider in a community that falls in love with another outsider who might be a murderer on the island of Jersey. We get to see a forbidden romance that could ruin the life of one from her high society life that look down on people that are different, while have the finger pointing which could happen in a small community when it comes to a teenager going missing. This story is filled with the tension required to make it feel like you are uneasy which certain moments and isn’t afraid to surprise you along the way.
Crime/Mystery/Romance – The crime side of the film is the background to the romance because there is a crime committed and the new lovers could well be involved in everything going on, the two sides mixed with the mystery elements all go in hand and hand.
Settings – The film is set in Jersey which is a small island off the coast of England and France, which shows how the community would be close together when the events of the film start.
Scene of the Movie – Final sequence.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dreams sequences.
Final Thoughts – This is a tension crime romance that shows us how a community can be left in shock with a crime and with a seemingly forbidden romance angle.
Overall: Must watch.
Rating
