Beast

There are a few scenes in this that are vaguely menacing, but for the most part it is really, really poor! Idris Elba ("Nate") arrives with his daughters "Mer" (Iyana Halley) and "Norah" (Leah Jeffries) at at remote African game reserve run by his friend "Martin" (Sharlto Copley). Pretty soon we realise that the luggage they brought on the plane is but the tip of the iceberg of baggage that actually accompanied this family and we are quickly immersed in a rather unattractive melodrama surrounding his late wife who tragically passed away (hopefully before seeing this film). Anyway, they are…

MORE SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/ "Beast is one of the most gorgeous, satisfying films of the year. The camera moves cut-free during the vast majority of scenes, depicting all the splendor of the African safari, as well as helping viewers to become invested in the character interactions in a much more captivating manner. The immersive atmosphere carries immense suspense and tension - the lion sequences are quite brutal - where Idris Elba delivers one of the most emotional performances of his career. It follows the usual formula when it comes to survival movies, and it…

**Poor effects and mediocre writing obscure Beast’s shining moments.** Beast is a decent creature movie entry with some good actors and immersive camerawork. Unfortunately, the digital effects on the lion are distracting and prevent the tension from fully building. The film was at its best when characters were frantically trying to spot the lion before it attacked, but the attacks themselves were easily survivable, making the result disappointing. The pointless family drama, weak dialogue, and far-fetched man versus lion battles prevented Beast from being as enjoyable as movies like Crawl or…

I think the key to figuring out this movie is an early scene in which one of the characters is wearing a Jurassic Park shirt. This must be the filmmakers winking their eye at the audience, letting us know that what we’re about to see is all in jest. How else to explain a film where the protagonists arrive in South Africa and immediately start bitching about the heat, but they’re all wearing jackets, and sweaters, and hoodies? More importantly, how are we to interpret a movie that introduces the issues of poaching (people who kill lions) and anti-poaching (people who kill people who kill…