Since 1992, Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur has worked in the industry as an actor, writer, producer, and director. After making his debut with 1996’s Go LazyTown, Kormákur gained much attention for his 2000 feature 101 Reykjavík. The film won numerous awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, Thessaloniki Film Festival, and Pula Film Festival, among others. He made his American directorial debut with 2005’s A Little Trip to Heaven, starring Forest Whitaker and Julia Stiles. Kormákur’s 2012 film, The Deep, was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. He followed this up with 2013’s 2 Guns, 2015’s Everest, and 2018’s Adrift, all of which made decent money. In 2020, actor Idris Elba announced he’d star in a new movie directed by Kormákur and written by Ryan Engle. After ten weeks of filming in South Africa, Baltasar Kormákur’s Beast hit theater screens in August 2022.
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Synopsis
Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) takes his daughters Norah (Leah Jeffries) and Meredith (Iyana Halley) to Africa to reconnect. Since their mother died, he and his daughters have drifted apart, and he’s trying to mend their relationship. With his old friend Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), Nate takes his daughters on a safari to see the wildlife. Unfortunately, things go downhill when they come across a nearby village where everyone is dead. It turns out a rogue lion is on the loose and killing any humans it comes across due to poachers. Martin gets attacked by the lion while Nate and his daughters are trapped in their jeep after it crashes. Nate, Norah, and Meredith must stick together if they want to survive against a prowling lion. Will they put aside their differences and work together, or will this fractured family become the lion’s next meal?
Review
On the surface, Beast is a movie we’ve seen done numerous times before and in much better films. There’s nothing wrong with using a familiar formula so long as the final film is entertaining and well-done. For the most part, the filmmakers managed to take a tried and true formula and make it work. Idris Elba makes for a great leading man that you can root for, which he always does. He’s one of those actors who always delivers a solid performance no matter the movie’s overall quality. While his screen time is somewhat limited, Sharlto Copley does an excellent job as Nate’s longtime friend. Leah Jeffries and Iyana Halley have their moments, but they come off as slightly annoying and incredibly inept. Every time Nate tells them to do something, they do the exact opposite, which is very frustrating. They move the story forward, but they could’ve done better.
One aspect I can commend the movie for is the cinematography, which Oscar-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot handled. There are several moments where the action is filmed as if it’s done in one take, and it’s incredible. These shots put you in the middle of the action and make you feel like you’re there. Unfortunately, there is an occasional shaky cam shot when the action gets too intense, which hurts the experience. Most likely, this was done to hide the imperfections of the CGI lion, which looks decent if somewhat hyperrealistic. Also, the plot is very predictable, with an ending that you’ll see coming from a mile away. Thankfully, the movie clocks in at a breezy 93 minutes, so it won’t take up too much of your time. Overall, Beast is an average survival film with some decent camerawork and a good lead that’s ideal for matinee prices.
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