As Beast goes on the question shifts from “is Pascal a serial killer?” to “if Pascal is a serial killer, are these two perfect for each other in a demented Natural Born Killers kind of way?”, which is where Michael Pearce likes to repeatedly flip the motives and truth on the audience. The trick never fully wears thin, but occasionally it begins to function as a disservice to the complexity of these already established complicated people. In that regard, it’s difficult to say that the script fully gets into the head of either Moll or Pascal, but rest assured Beast is a thrilling crowdpleaser sure to have viewers unsure of where the dynamic is going until the final shot. Of course, none of that is as impactful as it is without the calculated and socially maladjusted turns from the newcomers looking like ten-year veterans, Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn.
Beast
Director: Michael Pearce | Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James | 107 mins
Moll is 27 and still living at home, stifled by the small island community around her and too beholden to her family to break away. When she meets Pascal, a free-spirited stranger, a whole new world opens up to her and she begins to feel alive for the first time, falling madly in love. Finally breaking free from her family, Moll moves in with Pascal to start a new life. But when he is arrested as the key suspect in a series of brutal murders, she is left isolated and afraid. Choosing to stand with him against the suspicions of the community, Moll finds herself forced to make choices that will impact her life forever.
Screens: Saturday, May 5 at Midnight
Tickets can be purchased here.
Check out our exclusive interview with Beast writer-director Michael Pearce here…
Originally published May 1, 2018. Updated April 30, 2018.
