Let's be realistic.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Blistering performances.

There were a couple of minor points in the movie where the plot did not seem to hold together, but all together the movie managed to present a very powerful story on a way that definitely got me thinking. I'm very glad I saw this movie.

One word that describes this film: interesting. It presents a push-and-pull where the viewer really doesn't know where the story is going to go - or willing to go. That part was fun though. Moll (Jessie Buckley) meets Pascal (Johnny Flynn) on a night where a brutal murder takes place in their small town. They get along quick and become an item. Later, the local police are interested in Pascal as a suspect for this murder - and others that link to it. Then, whether or not he did it, and whether or not Moll is willing to be his false alibi, are tussled with for the duration of the film.I liked all of those parts and it kept me guessing all the way up until the end. The ending itself was pretty surprising as well. What I struggled with is how annoying Moll's family was. They sheltered her because of a previous 'episode' she had - one that never fully reveals itself, either. Moll is, however, an adult and her mother especially is maddening - to the point that it took me out of the movie and made me angry.That being said, the thriller aspect of the film was good - and the acting from Buckley and Flynn was definitely up to snuff. I would recommend seeing Beast.

My MoviePass app promoted this film to me yesterday and I went to see it...thanks MoviePass, you nailed what I wanted to see. This movie was really good. Must watch!

In an isolated community, a rebellious and troubled young woman finds herself torn between her manipulative family and the allure of love between her and a roguish outsider. At the height of a terror of serial killings that have swept the small island, this young woman's lover is accused as a suspect, sending her and the town into a frenzy."Do you think he saw it at our cinema and was inspired?" says the creepy former cinema operator in Zodiac when talking about 1932 horror classic The Most Dangerous Game. I asked a similar question about this film. But while it has loose inspirations from The Most Dangerous Game, it is its own beast, with some nods here and there to the horror classic. Ultimately it is a warped yet insightful comment on relationships and our animalistic brains.It's clear to see the focus to details in script, character and dialogue. The film takes great care in layering the film with on the nose suggestions to animalistic themes. We slowly see the descent of Moll from her oppressive civilised institution to her barbaric earthy hidden self. The Institutional oppression or lack of success is a key theme for many horror films and so too does Beast echo this with its choir symphonies and the ruthless attitude of the police force. There is a character that is brought in as part of the police investigation that exemplifies both but twists the motif on its head and the alluring love life with a suspected serial killer humorously seems to be the saner side. It's the anxiety around trusted institutions of social circles, the police force and family being morphed into these Gothic Horror-esque characters, that bring a spine-tingling tension. However, the focus of the story makes polar shifts and makes the tone quite uneven in parts. Sometimes venturing more into a dramatic romantic tale, with very little detail into the investigation/murders that adds a lack of story to that part of the film.That is not to say it forgets what it is, quite the opposite, the heated passion of these two lovers is constantly smeared with an uncompromising pressure. Words and glances seem to echo as you question their meaning, this is made insurmountable by the staggeringly possessive performance from Jessie Buckley. A deeply complex and often outright absolutely confusing portrayal but ultimately an all-encompassing character that will have you hanging off her every word. Johnny Flynn plays his part in contrast, reserved, secretive and less showy but still just as powerful if not for a few dry deliveries here and there. This film really belongs to the two of them, adding an uncertain nature to their relationship and the outcome of events, they are integral to keeping the plot as nail-biting as it is.While much of these characters and the story itself breaths an air of predictability, the film does a marvellous job keeping you on your toes. Echoing the anxious, erratic characters, so too does its plot possess these qualities. Shifting between passionate warped romance and gothic horror murder mystery can be quite unsettling but evidently, that is the desired effect. Sharp, direct and yet subtle, Beast controls its audience and characters with a haunting clarity and while it's ending seems somewhat rushed and flat it still bears interest and discussion. Making Beast an absolutely exhilarating primal rush from start to finish, an astonishing directorial debut.