As the sun sets on the sprawling savanna, the stage is set for a tale of survival in the heart of the wilderness. "Beast," the 2022 film directed by Baltasar Kormákur, entices audiences with the promise of a heart-pounding thriller pitting man against nature. Unfortunately, it delivers something closer to a gentle purr rather than the mighty roar one might expect.
One could argue that the premise of "Beast" has all the makings of a gripping narrative: a father, played with a committed intensity by Idris Elba, is faced with the daunting task of protecting his two teenage daughters from a marauding lion, whose raw power is evident in every muscle ripple and aggressive stance. Here, the lion is not just a fierce predator; it's an emblem of nature's indiscriminate wrath, a beast turned rogue, transforming the serene beauty of the savanna into a nightmarish landscape of survival.
The cinematography succeeds in immersing the viewer into the untamed heart of Africa, capturing the vastness and the isolation that comes with being at the bottom of the food chain. There are moments when you can feel the dust in your throat and the adrenaline in your veins – moments that scream survival thriller.
Sadly, these moments are fleeting. The film often lingers in a sort of "Sleep Mode," where the pacing stumbles and the narrative meanders rather than sprints. As a survival thriller, one might expect relentless tension, but "Beast" takes its time, perhaps too much time, to build up to these high-stakes encounters. There is an odd paradox within the narrative, where the presence of a ferocious lion seems insufficient to keep the tension consistent. Spectators may find themselves checking their watches rather than gripping the edges of their seats.
Another dent in the film's armor is the portrayal of the two daughters, whose presence ricochets between genuine emotion and standard fare for disaster flicks—annoying, to be blunt. The trope of children in peril can walk a fine line; it can evoke a visceral protective instinct, or it can test the audience's patience. Unfortunately in "Beast," it often leans towards the latter. The constant need to safeguard these two characters can, at times, bog the storyline down, making what should be a cat-and-mouse game feel more like a cumbersome parental chore.
The lion's larger-than-life presence is a double-edged sword. While it provides a primal antagonist that's easy to fear, at times the creature's almost supernatural prowess stretches the audience's suspension of disbelief thin. The beast becomes not just an element of the film but its centerpiece, requiring viewers to accept at face value its exceptional and sometimes inexplicable behavior.
Ultimately, "Beast" earns a score of 6/10. It's a serviceable entry in the survival thriller genre that could have roared but instead settles for a modest growl. While it doesn’t scale the heights of terror we might have hoped for on this safari, it’s far from the worst trek you could take. Given the wide savannas it sets out to conquer, "Beast" could have been a king but remains a noble creature worth observing – from a safe distance, perhaps with a measure of goodwill and lowered expectations.
