Beast (2018)
1h 47m | PG-13
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.
Director: Michael Pearce
Studio: Agile Films
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama
Video: 720p
Cast
Jessie Buckley
as Moll Huntford
Johnny Flynn
as Pascal Renouf
Trystan Gravelle
as Clifford
Geraldine James
as Hilary Huntington
Oliver Maltman
as Harrison
Tim Woodward
as Fletcher
Reviews
Jessie Buckley pulls out all the stops here and offers us a really strong performance in what is otherwise a rather unremarkable thriller. She is "Moll" who lives a pretty unfulfilled life under the watchful gaze of her mother "Hilary" (Geraldine James). She hooks up with wide boy "Pascal" (Johnny Flynn - or Tom Burke?) whom many suspect to be behind a series of killings that have rocked their island community. Increasingly shunned by her family and friends, she finds herself embroiled in the police investigation led by "Harrison" (Oliver Maltman) - a man who is also keen on young "Moll" - and gradually she, like us, begins to doubt the probity of her boyfriend's dubious character. There is something fitting about the ending, but I am afraid I found the rest of this just a bit too procedural with the usual dose of familial discord failing to chime with me at all. Buckley stands out and James always brings a bit of gravitas when she is on screen, but the remainder left me underwhelmed and borderline disinterested. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but this really didn't do much for me at all. Sorry.