User Reviews

Jessie Buckley gives a good performance as the somewhat unsure, internally conflicted and unhappy Moll. It is quite an atmospheric film and its certainly tense. I'd certainly recommend this film as a British set dark drama, yes.

Psychological thriller that doesn't quite reach it's full potential. Solid enough though.

And No More Beauty. Beast Pearce has captured a real romance between the already explored debate of nature and nurture, with a result so stupendous, that the horror aspect of the film melts away as a cathartic release. There is a lot to admire and little to exhale for, and those bits is where Pearce relies upon old textbook methods, his execution on such dodgy sequences is what stabilizes the film. The first act that flirts wildly on the screen and draws its audience actually denses up the content by using the threat metaphorically and create a tense family drama. After which the tone shifts into a love story crossing barriers through big antics and elements so clean and sharp that pierces through your heart as these lead characters blend. The last act, which is followed by, the horror drama, that pins down to the last point on mark, this is where Pearce swoops in and saves the day, to fluctuate the tone so fluently is sheer brilliance. Flynn as the beast, or so they say, mirrors the imagination of the outer world of our society, and just like it, the uneasiness and edginess that appeals the viewers is decently fabricated by him. But he is barely the factor affecting the equation, all the money is on Buckley and no one leaving the screen is going to feel cheated. Her poised falseness plastered by the society and her family is too fake to stand alongside them in the room, so boundless and fearless in her journey, that she grows into one of our worries. Technically, Pearce's world takes much more than it gives to us, but maybe once a while we ought to give it to something, it is surely in safe hands. Beast is every bit of human and every bit of animal there should be, in us and in them.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

watching Beast feels like reading a fairytale-mature book. what a nice debut.

El final final lo arruina todo, la 1ra hora es magnifica, mantiene el suspenso, hasta crees que es ella pq esta loca. Pero al final; ella pega de gritos por cualquier cosa; en culpan a alguien que nada que ver y no sabe ni pq; y el revela ser el asesino nada más pq si.

A slow burner that grows and begins to improve as time passes and the story begins to wrap you more as you get to know the characters. The ending disappointed me a little because although I heard that some people found it shocking I felt it was somewhat anticlimactic, especially because Jessie Buckley's character is a bunch of disorientation and her final action feels more like something that the script got out of its sleeve than something truly calculated. However, I think it's a good drama, the suspense and tension are good enough to keep your attention. It's a good option.

Alfred Hitchcock created film experiences that, as the credits roll, both excite and depress me a bit knowing that they are near the peak of film mysteries in general. More than fifty years later, it is still a thrill to thrown on Rear Window or Psycho and become immersed in the always-clever "who done it" situations, whether they are confined to an apartment building or sprawled out over a national monument. It is incredibly rare to encounter a murder mystery that even belongs in the same sentence as one of Hitchcock's seminal works, and it is even more special to see one of these high quality films when the director's last name is not "Fincher." 2018 now has its great murder mystery in Beast. In the vein of Hitchcock's thrillers, Beast quietly introduces Moll, a disengaged young woman living unwillingly in British aristocracy on an island. Similar to Titanic's Rose, Moll enjoys a luxurious but ultimately empty existence. Her family is not a unit to be admired; her sister is kind enough to announce her pregnancy in the middle of Moll's birthday party. Moll has had enough and decides to seek adventure via night clubs and island adventures. She soon meets Pascal, a mysterious young man who marches to his own drum and seems to lack any connection with society. Moll's family predictably rejects Pascal, causing increasing tension between Moll and her family and heightening her desire to simply run away and live the simple life with Pascal. Everything becomes far more complicated, however, when the police announce a connection between a string of murders that have occurred on the island in the past couple of years. The film then launches into a tense mystery where the audience and police race to figure out who could have committed these crimes. Beast is shockingly grounded and does not get caught up in the silliness that plagues far too many mystery films. Its grounded nature causes Beast to function simultaneously as a study of psychology and sociology, avoiding cliches and allowing certain character motivations to remain as thrilling a mystery as the murders themselves. Moll and Pascal both have troubled pasts but are currently well-behaved and even submissive to authority; what caused them to act out in the past? The film is greatly rewarding and ties together all loose ends without any cheap tricks. Beast actually becomes more and more engaging as it moves along and never forces any grossly sentimental moments or suspension of disbelief. Its small and grounded nature is what allows the film to achieve such a rewarding third act. Comparing almost any film to the works of Hitchcock is a bit ridiculous, and Beast will certainly not be revered on the same level as Rear Window and Psycho. But not every mystery film needs to be a cinematic masterpiece, and Beast finds great success in its subdued nature. This strong mystery film is wholly engaging, shockingly deep, and full of enough twists and turns to provide a thrilling theater experience that is more reminiscent of film's greatest mystery installments than just about any other recent crime thriller.

From arresting visuals to piercing dialogue, Michael Pearce’s Beast is a symphony of thrills and chills. Pearce’s vision is crystal-clear as he guides us through a web of red-hot passion and ice-cold abuse. This vision is only elevated by the spectacular performance of the lead, Jessie Buckley, who vividly embodies these two sentiments and proudly drives the film. It can be difficult for a film to remain so thoroughly mysterious but the unity of all its working parts makes Beast a firm victory. While Beast may sometimes get bogged down in familiar plot-points, everything comes to fruition because the movie is ultimately playing a delicate game with our expectations. Greatly offsetting those familiar points are moments that turn everything upside. Displayed with expert craftsmanship (namely the scenic and cerebral cinematography), these moments create an air of true uncertainty. Authentic and raw, this twisted journey is one that will have viewers guessing until the very end. Brilliantly executed in a variety of measures, Beast is a ferocious yet gratifying ride. Writing: 9/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 9/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.1/10 Original Article: ****

Who's the titular character? Is it young, rebellious Moll (Jessie Buckley) or her enigmatic new beau (Johnny Flynn). She defies her domineering mom and takes up with this man who may also be a serial killer. There's an opportunity for a suspenseful situation, but the leaden pace and lack of compelling interactions keep it from achieving any degree of apprehension. It's more about their passionate romance and her rebellious attitude than it is about the killings. Although the promise is there, the payoff isn't.

During and after watching the movie “Beast” I had many thoughts and questions going through my mind such as am I getting weirder as I get old or are movies getting weirder? Why do first time directors, like Michael Pearce who also wrote the screenplay, feel that they have to show every ‘art’ shot whether it adds to the movie or not? Did he deliberately want those few bars of music so loud every now and then? Was I missing something with that music? I feel anything I say will be a spoiler which I don’t like to give but I can say the main relationship in “Beast” is between Moll (Jessie Buckley) who was punished (I still don’t know how!) for stabbing a fellow student when she was younger with scissors and Pascal (Johnny Flynn) who may or may not be a serial killer of young women. I was mesmerized by Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn’s acting and the chemistry between them. The closest I can equate them with is the pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in “To Have and Have Not” for the first time. The romance between Moll and Pascal is a mix of tenderness, tension, exposed nerves, suspicions and certainly dangerous. There is no way they won’t hold your attention when they are together or even in the scenes where they are apart doing things alone or with other people. I will say that her mother, played by Geraldine James, is the mother of all mothers and there is a policewoman, whose name I didn’t catch in the credits, who will have the hairs on your arms standing up. There are scenes of animal cruelty, mainly towards rabbits, that turned me off but the scenes of the island of Jersey off the south coast of England will make you want to catch the next plane there. If nothing else the performances of Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn should make “Beast” a big hit but I fear it will disappear far too quickly in the USA but you should make a point of seeing it before then.

I expected this movie to be a slightly off-beat traditional horror film, but it is not. It’s better than that. It’s a fascinating and complex character study of a young couple who are “beasts” each in their own ways – one is a psychopath and the other has definite impulse control issues and has had them for a very long time. They meet, fall in love – and I won’t spoil the ending for you. The actors are fantastic and totally believable, and the script and direction are excellent. The suspense is in discovering exactly what kind of people they are since neither is unattractive, and in the end, when you understand the characters, the situation is tragic – and not just for their victims.

A psychological thriller and a love story simultaneously. It's a story about a young woman with a dark past and a troubled personality who tries to free herself from a possessive and controlling family. She meets a guy who might be as dark inside and she falls for him. What attracts her to him? That his demons could be similar to hers? Lack of love during childhood? Who of the two is the beast? Cinematographic-ally the movie is done very well. There is a lot of suspense. Excellent performances. In my opinion though, the movie would be much better if it's ending was cut off completely. It spoiled the whole impression. Trying to make it unpredictable they made it unbelievable. But still a good watch.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Its a quirky, psychological thriller. Its an unusual story for the genre and has a number of interesting plot turns and character development.

Beast is a serviceable thriller that is almost a great movie. Captivating cinematography, psychologically immersive sound design, and incredible performances from Johnny Flynn and Jessie Buckley aren't enough to stop the wheels falling off the bus in the third act. The script is easily the weakest part of the movie, which is a real shame, as this is almost something to remember. In acting terms, Jessie Buckley carries the film with an animalistic passion, and her chemistry with Johnny Flynn is electrifying. The script sells itself short. I can't go into more detail without spoiling the movie. The sound design is so anxiety producing that I was on the edge of my seat for most of the first and second act. Overall, this is a pleasant first offering from Michael Pearce. If you like good acting, you'll definitely appreciate Beast. As far as story goes, there are better thrillers out there, but the craftsmanship that went into making this movie is still worth a watch.

This movie is somehow slightly worse than the sum of its parts. There is a genuine sense of direction and theme to this film, even if it doesn't really go anywhere all that interesting. The plain story belies the adept filmmaking and strong central performances. The two leads have really believable chemistry. The story just isn't up to snuff with the rest of the film and the beast metaphors are applied way too thickly for something so obvious.