Time: 145 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Offensive language & sexual references
Cast:
Léa Seydoux as Gabrielle
George MacKay as Louis
Guslagie Malanda as Poupée Kelly
Dasha Nekrasova as Dakota
Director: Bertrand Bonello

I really didn’t know much about The Beast outside the fact that it starred Lea Seydoux and George MacKay, and it had some intriguing positive reactions when it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last year. Having finally seen it, it is definitely one of the most interesting movies from this year. 

The best way I can describe the movie is that it takes place in the future where AI is in control and sees human emotions as a weakness, and people have to choose between having a successful career, or emotions/love. In an attempt to get rid of her emotions, a woman played by Lea Seydoux undergoes a process where she goes through her past lives, which seems to be intertwined with a man played by George MacKay. Funnily enough, the AI aspect has become more relevant now considering the movie was filmed about a couple years ago. The Beast was initially a little more complicated than initially expected, it does have something of a non linear plot structure as it goes through different timelines. Regardless, it was compelling to watch what happened in each scenario. There’s definitely a lot that can be extracted from this movie, it’s about loneliness, existential dread and what makes us human. The movie is even a little reminiscent of David Lynch’s work at points, and there is particularly a real sense of dread in the last third. It is a long film with very different sections, so some parts are more interesting than others, and the pacing can be a bit uneven. It does require patience, but it is worth the experience. It is worth noting that the credits are contained in a QR code right at the end of the movie, they’re worth checking out, especially with the fact that it contains a mid credits scene.

Lea Seydoux gives the best performance I’ve seen from her, and George MacKay is also great. Both of them are great at playing different versions of themselves through different time periods, and share believable chemistry between each other.

I haven’t seen anything from director Bertrand Bonello before, but his work for The Beast was excellent. It’s a very striking looking movie; the different time periods allow the visuals and production design to shine, going from a period piece drama akin to The Age of Innocence to a hypothetical sci-fi future in 2044, the latter of which is represented particularly very well especially with how sterile it looks. There are also some truly chilling and unsettling moments, particularly in the second half.

The Beast is an ambitious, strange and compelling film, incredibly directed and with amazing performances from Léa Seydoux and George MacKay. It is definitely divisive and won’t be for everyone, but I do think it is worth a watch.