The Idris Elba starring thriller/creature feature, Beast, recently launched on Blu-ray, which is probably the best way to enjoy it.
The MovieÂ
Beast on Blu-Ray
Directed By: Baltasar Kormákur
Written By: Ryan Engle
Starring: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Purchase [Affiliate Link]: https://amzn.to/3EMDNk0
Much to my chagrin, I missed out on Beast when it hit theaters earlier this year. I love these type of monster/creature features where ordinary people have to survive against animals hellbent on taking them out. It’s a genre I’ve loved since Jaws and continue to enjoy to this day. As such, Beast seemed like a must-watch for me, but it wasn’t until the Blu-ray came my way that I was able to finally check it out.
Frankly, it’s probably best I watched it this way first.
The story is fairly straightforward, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) takes his teenage daughters, Nora and Meredith (called Mare), to a Mopani Reserve in South Africa. Having recently lost his wife, and their mother, the trio are there in order to try and reconnect with one another while visiting the village where she grew up.
They’re staying with an old friend of the family, Martin (Sharlto Copley) who grew up with Nate’s departed wife. He works as a wildlife biologist and something of a “warden” for the animal preserve. On top of taking care of the various wild animals, he must also contend with poachers.
During their trip, Martin takes the family into the restricted parts of the preserve, places tourists aren’t allowed, in order to show them all the beautiful things there are to see. Unfortunately, however, something is very, very wrong. A rogue lion, whose entire pride has been wiped out by poachers, is on the prowl and killing with impunity. Soon enough, Nate and his family find themselves caught in the lion’s crosshairs and stranded where no one can get to them.
I won’t go much further to avoid any spoilers for those who haven’t watched it yet. As I said, it’s a pretty typical man vs. monster plot and manages to feature a fairly impressive body count.
Beast isn’t a “bad” movie, honestly…It’s just not great. The action scenes are pretty impressive, and several of the sequences with the lion had me gripping the armrests of my chair pretty damn hard. It’s competently shot and brings a genuine level of tension that manages to stick with you through a good portion of the film.
The problem, however, is it doesn’t do much more than that. Attempts to flesh out the characters with subplots regarding loss and Nate trying to prove his love/devotion to his daughters are engaging enough to keep you watching, but still feel like only surface level stuff. I struggled to care for the characters beyond the current predicament they found themselves in.
On top of that (and without getting into specifics), something about the ending just didn’t work for me. It felt a bit anti-climatic. Considering how well the film handled increasing the tension and thrills throughout the majority of the movie, it lacked any special “oomph” at the end.
While I was never once bored, by the time the credits rolled, I didn’t really feel much of anything else (besides a desire to see what else was on). There are good elements in the film, but it’s missing something to take it further. The result is an enjoyable film, but one that won’t necessarily stick with you.
Sight and Sound
From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray transfer for Beast is pretty great. No complaints here other than the odd decision to not go ahead and give it a 4K UHD release. The picture is crisp and clear with deep blacks that don’t crush. Considering some of the most intense scenes take place at night, this was a crucial aspect. I never had a problem seeing the action unfolding on screen and it continued to look sharp.
The sound design is similarly solid. I loved hearing the soft growls of the lion in the surround sound from behind me, making it feel like I was being stalked as well as the characters. Couple that with good dialog priority and the technical aspect of this release is definitely a highlight.
The Bonus Features
Beast on Blu-ray comes with a DVD copy of the film, a digital copy insert, and these bonus features loaded on the disc:
DELETED SCENE – Watch an exclusive unreleased scene from Beast
MAN VS. LION: THE FINAL BATTLE – Go inside the epic final battle between Nate and the beast himself as Director Baltasar Kormákur, star Idris Elba, and key members of the VFX team walk us through putting it all together.
CREATING THE BEAST – The vicious title character of Beast is no ordinary lion. He’s bigger, he’s meaner, and he’s got an axe to grind against humanity. Sit down with director Baltasar Kormákur as he explains what he envisioned for The Beast.
MAKING IT REAL: THE WOUNDS – Sit down with prosthetics supervisor Clinton Smith and prosthetic assistant Daleen Badenhorst as they walk us through all the gory details of creating realistic looking slices, gashes, and tears caused by a massive, predatory lion.
FILMING IN THE BEAST’S TERRITORY – Visit Limpopo South Africa where the cast and crew of BEAST travelled to capture all the vistas, planes, and mountains of Africa authentically on film.
FAMILY BOND: THE CAST OF THE BEAST – Meet the family at the heart of this story as director Baltasar Kormákur and cast members Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, and Leah Jeffries take us inside their characters’ journeys as they come together and heal in the direst of circumstances.
A LION’S PRIDE – Learn the tragic truth of lion poaching with this factual piece that takes viewers inside the fight to protect the big game of Africa.
There’s a surprising amount of additional content included on this release, offering some better insight into the filmmaking process. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the VFX that went into the creation of the lion (another highlight of the film), but none of these are particularly long/deep featurettes. They certainly add some bang for your buck but I doubt you’ll be revisting any of them.
