Click here to copy URL

Beast

2022

Baltasar Kormákur

Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Liyabuya Gongo ...

5.1

3,116

Thriller. Drama. Horror Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed husband, returns to South Africa where he first met his wife on a trip with their daughters to a game reserve. 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.

	Media	Author	Review
		Robbie Collin Telegraph	"Idris Elba fighting a crazed lion – what’s not to like? (...) This impressive creature feature from director Baltasar Kormákur has a slightly absurd premise, but more than enough thrills to compensate. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Kormakur crafts his drama with some niftily tense suspense sequences that split the difference between compelling and cheesy (...) 'Beast' frustratingly refuses to aspire to be more than a competent, disposable actioner"
		Odie Henderson rogerebert.com	"I'm marginally not recommending 'Beast' because I couldn't get past the screenplay issues (...) Still, if this flick strikes your fancy, by all means you should go (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"[It] sounds ridiculous, but it turns out to be just the right amount of ridiculous for this shrewd, stripped-down late-summer diversion"
		Patrick Cremona Radio Times	"The film occasionally falters (...) Still, the film makes good use of its bonafide movie star lead and Kormákur's accomplished direction ensures this is a solidly tense affair throughout (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Peter Debruge Variety	"It's not as ambitious as 'Nope,' but this tense survival story is a lot more fun than brainier summer blockbusters."
		David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"In the hands of accomplished experiential action director Baltasar Kormákur, the thriller barrels along seasoned with a visceral fear factor, but not without some ludicrous plotting and dialogue."
		Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"'Beast' couldn’t be arriving at a more apt time, a thrilling, if throwaway, reminder of the fun to be had while watching a B-movie bringing its A-game. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Kate Erbland IndieWire	"When Idris Elba fights a lion, you’ll root for the lion (...) Baltasar Kormákur's high-concept actioner pits man against beast, but fundamentally misunderstands how such a formulaic feature should work."
		Brandon Zachary CBR	"'Beast' is a lean, mean thriller elevated by a game cast, strong direction, and a pretty solid horror movie monster in the form of a murderous lion."
		Brian Truitt USA Today	"It isn’t Elba’s 'Sharknado' but also not exactly his 'Out of Africa,' so just enjoy this late-summer flick for what it does well: a primal fight between man and very mad lion (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Belen Edwards Mashable	"'Beast' scratches the blockbuster itch in a similar way to Prey, and it's just an all-around good time at the movies. There's no better way to end your summer than that."
		Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"After some early thrills, director Baltasar Kormákur's movie ceases to excite because the creature has no more surprises left (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"It has a top-shelf cast, excellent production values, and a solid moral message against poaching at its core. This was a huge surprise to me as I wasn’t expecting much from Beast, but I was pleasantly surprised."
		Ross Bonaime Collider	"'Beast' has its flaws and is mostly by-the-numbers, but if the idea of Idris Elba fighting a lion is something that is of interest to you, then Beast is going to deliver."
		William Bibbiani The Wrap	"A toothsome survival thriller, competently crafted and engagingly realized. There are far worse ways to spend 93 minutes in a movie theater"
		Taylor Lyles IGN	"While 'Beast' certainly does little to innovate in the survival thriller genre, it does serve decent fun for fans that want to see Idris Elba fighting a giant, man-hunting lion"
		Leigh Monson AV Club	"This is cinema as spectacle distilled down to its rawest form (...) That 'Beast' manages to be quite so powerful offers a welcome reminder that simple pleasures can still occupy an essential place at the movies"
		Josh Spiegel SlashFilm	"'Beast' is no great shakes, but it's also a rare enough summer movie, in that it knows its limits, it delivers on its specific promises, and it doesn't belabor the point"
		Mel Valentin Screen Anarchy	"A stripped-down, tautly told, suspense-filled action-horror entry"
		Marshall Shaffer The Playlist	"It's Kormákur's directorial verve and vision that elevates 'Beast' to something slightly more than just disposable entertainment. Perhaps one day, he'll choose a studio blockbuster with a story more worthy of his talents"
		Meagan Navarro Bloody Disgusting	"Its anti-poaching messaging remains only surface level, but the performances are convincing, and it’s well crafted in its visual storytelling (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		John Nugent Empire	"[It] is as predictable as anything but it’s a fun, silly, well-made film about a man punching a big cat (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"

Return to movie

We encourage you to check the reviews' original sources. Intellectual property rights of these reviews belong to their authors and/or the correspondent media from which they have been extracted. If you'd like to help us to add more reviews to your favorite movies, just send us a message.