- Director : Alexander J. Farrell
- Actors : Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, Caoilinn Springall
- Language : English (DTS 5.1 Surround)
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : United Kingdom
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : Blu-ray, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 38 minutes
- Release date : October 22, 2024
Horror has a long
and rich history of allegorically addressing social and political issues within
the confines of entertaining and formulaic narratives. Even the title for the
UK horror release, The Beast Within, is a reference to a theory
explaining audience’s fascination with the genre, suggesting that it is the
recognition of our own potential monstrous nature which entices viewers. And
while this theory is particularly interesting when looking at the werewolf
sub-genre of horror, The Beast Within makes the fatal mistake of putting
the allegory above all else, in particular any sense of enjoyment or fun. The
transparency of the social issues being addressed often makes The Beast Within
something of a chore to get through.
Capitalizing on
his fame from starring in “Game of Thrones,” Kit Harington is the top-billed
cast member of The Beast Within, despite his supporting role in the narrative.
The film is instead presented from the perspective of a 10-year-old girl named Willow
(Caoilinn Springall) who lives in an isolated compound deep in the woods of
England. Willow is at the age where she has started to question aspects of her
life, including the unusual dynamic between her parents. Her father Noah (Harington)
is controlling and possessive of both Willow and her mother, Imogen (Ashleigh
Cummings), and routinely disappears in the woods for several days at a time.
When the young girl follows her parents during one of these excursions, she is
horrified to discover her father’s true monstrous nature.
Although protected
by her mother and grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo), Willow begins to question
the danger posed by her shapeshifting father, especially after discovering a tragic
history in her family’s past. While it would have been enough for The Beast
Within to contain clear suggestions of parallels to Noah’s beastly side and the
volatile nature of an abusive husband, the film makes the mistake of taking the
allegory a step further by suggesting the werewolf storyline is merely a way for
Willow to contextualize the way her father treats her mother. What could have
been a clever approach to the werewolf narrative instead indicates the possibility
that all supernatural phenomena is merely imagined, which fails to follow through
on an essential component of the horror genre.
The Blu-ray
release for this underwhelming horror film is fittingly sparce. There are no extras
to speak of, and only optional subtitles in English and French as special
features.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 0/10
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