Beast

Hollywood has created many different genres in their existence, and suffice it to say, many have been repeated time and again. One fairly newer genre came along a certain number of decades ago of the thriller genre that put a whole new spin of making the audience squirm or causing a great deal of nail-biting. "Beast" has only accentuated that genre and raise the intensity level to a point where your heart will be pounding about a third of the way through the film.

Idris Elba stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) who find themselves hunted by a massive rouge lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator. Elba plays Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them. 

Others to round out the cast are Tafara Nyatsanza as Banji, Mduduzi Mavimbela as poacher Mizozi, Chris Gxalaba as Chipo, Chris Langa as Specs and Kazi Khuboni as pilot.

This film was intensely directed by Baltasar Kormakur ("101 Reykjavik" 2000, "Jar City" '06, "Inhale" '10, "Contraband" '12, "The Deep" '12, "2 Guns" '13, "Everest" '15, "Adrift" '18) plus others, TV and a TV movie. By his very resume, Kormakur truly knows how to put his audience in just the right amount of peril that the audience doesn't see a good deal coming. The subtlety in starting with a nice safari and slowly ending up with this ferocious lion ready to kill was amazing. And did I mention that this filmmaker definitely puts the 'I' in intensity? Once the action took place, the adrenaline, action-packed feel of the flick was non-stop. As with the incredible intensity of the array of films this director has helmed, this filmmaker will continue to wow us with many more films in the future, and we will all be the victors. It was equally well penned by writer Ryan Engle ("Non-Stop" '14, "The Commuter" '18, "Rampage" '18, "Breaking In" '22) plus TV, based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan. One wouldn't think that a film about a lion being a beast attacking people would be that scary--as compared to an unknown monster, but the way this story was penned, any massive size animal would deem scary and lethal if it is written in a way that exuded a permanence and finality within the story. The cast was believable as it was credible, and once this film is over, it leaves an indelible impression on one's psyche. 

If you are a thriller aficionado or junkie, you'll love this film. You can't beat a well thought-out and compelling thriller, and this is one of the better of this genre. The shear intensity warrants the price of admission to this film, and as you're watching it, prepare for a white-knuckle ride!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: R                                              93mins.