Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Writers: Ryan Engle, Jaime Primak Sullivan(story by)
Stars: Liyabuya Gongo, Martin Munro, Daniel Hadebe, Idris Elba, Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley
Idris Elba has starred in a variety of movies but none as simple as this, in which he battles a Lion to save his family. ‘Beast’ can be described as a movie with a good supporting cast, enough jump scares, action and suspense to keep the audience entertained.
In ‘Beast’ Elba stars as Dr. Nate Samuels, a medical doctor who has brought his daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) to South Africa for vacation. The trip comes with a special meaning for the family, it’s the home of Nate’s late wife, which he’s hoping will rejuvenate the strained relationship he has with his daughters. During the trip Nate is reunited with his friend and wildlife expert Martin (Sharlto Copley), who takes Nate, Meredith, and Leah to explore the wilderness. But it’s cut short when a rogue lion, that is out for revenge on poachers who killed his pride, begins attacking everyone and everything. Stuck with nowhere to go, Nate and his family must find a way to survive.
‘Beast’ makes good use of its jump scares, building intensity through them and the suspense they bring. It’s all about surviving the encounter by any means, building tension with the characters’ limited supplies and no way to radio for help. The story line does comes with a lot of predictability, the scenes in which the Lion appears you can pretty much pick. In short ‘Beast’ doesn’t take a lot of risks. It does how ever come with a lot of realism, the idea of visiting South Africa and encountering a giant lion is terrifying, and could be a true possibility.
The cinematography is unique and certainly a highlight, in the scenes in which Nate is forced to defend himself and his family, it’s played out like a first-person shooter video game. This heightens and escalates the adrenaline.
It goes without saying that majority of people are watching ‘Beast’ for Elba, who like always, delivers a phenomenal performance, stealing the scene every time. ‘Beast’ is a movie that plays exactly how you’d expect it to, but if your looking for a ninety-minute rush, ‘Beast’ is the movie for you.
‘Beast’ is in cinemas Thursday 25th of August.
Email: neill@outloudculture.com