So, its 2022, and you’re an actor who’s been in the runnings and in contention to play 007 for quite a few years, without any clear cut answer or direction from the studio, so what do you do next? If fighting a lion is your immediate answer, where have you been?
I mean, it seems like the only sensible answer for Idris Elba, a revered British actor who’s body of work speaks for itself, in terms of diversity and class. Yet, since all the rumours and speculations surrounding the coveted role of Bond surfaced, Elba has since taken roles as an African warlord, a couple superheroes and of course, flexing his muscles in The Fast franchise.
After all that is said and done, Idris Elba is a serious and A-List actor who’s presence on screen is never questioned. So, with the arrival of Beast, this high-concept action vehicle for our relentlessly rugged and incredibly talented lead man takes his role of man versus beast quite seriously.
As simple as the concept may be, Baltasar Kormákur takes this film very seriously, never faltering on the narrative concepts, or the storytelling techniques. Allowing the grade of the CGI animals to really pop and not distract for the simple narrative, Beast allows the beauty of Africa to become and main protagonist in the first act of the film, while the characters appreciation for the land and wildlife really basks within every inch of the screen and allows the narrative and conflict to evolve within acts two and three.
Yet, as the terrors of the African wildlife becomes one of the main focuses of the film later on, Beasts emotional remnants are felt even before much time is even wasted on screen. Even though tragedy strikes before any mention of wild animals comes into play, Dr. Nate Samuels (Elba) decides to venture to Africa with his two children, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jefferies) after the tragic loss of his recently divorced wife. As the truths and hard realities of the relationship begin to surface, they decide after staying the her childhood home with Uncle Martin (Sharlto Copley) , the four of them decide to allow Meredith to follow in her mother’s footsteps and allow her to survey the wild African safari for once-in-a-lifetime photographs. Sadly, what awaits them within the vast depths of the safari, is nothing what any of them expected.
While the lion/beast that plays the main antagonist of the film is very symbolic of our main protagonist, Dr. Samuels, a man, protecting his family for the wild elements of the world, and mourning the loss of his family, begins to mirror the beast itself who hunts them down for the only reason that they are humans and all humans resemble the poachers that killed the beast’s pact. Beast raises very surface level questions of poaching and the very obvious evil that poaching and the ramifications of the devilish act present, the film does a very good job of not being overtly preachy, at all, on the other hand, the film is quite good at allowing the actions o the people and the depiction of the animals to speak for themselves. While there is never a time that we aren’t rooting for Dr. Samuels and his family to survive, but there is a long time that we are rooting for the beast to avenge his family, by any means necessary.
While Beast is a very harsh and strong title for the film, it becomes an intertextual examination of self-reflective worth of a film to really question the lengths of depths of our passions, how much we are willing to endure and how far we are willing to go to protect and avenge our packs. Beast may not be the best picture of 2022, but I can assure you that the film is a very passionate film about African culture diluted with a bit of Hollywood action and star power. For a quick ninety-minute runtime, Beast is a film to be ravaged and enjoyed for its quick commentary and fast-fun action/adventure.