The Beast Within

Ugh! Ok, I don't THINK this is a spoiler as I'm not revealing anything of the plot but if you don't want ANY information, then stop reading now. .........

Ok....... I love werewolf movies. I wait for good ones to be made. So what do we get here? A not very scary, not well hidden metaphor on domestic violence. First of all, a werewolf is ALREADY a metaphor for violence and the beast within man. Human losing control and doing violence as an animal to other humans. It doesn't need a more obvious metaphor trying loosely to masquerade as a werewolf movie!! We don't SEE the werewolf, not until the Very end and just barely. We don't get a good look at it. Secondly, from the perspective of your husband is known to be a werewolf.... Stop being sloppy. Stop cutting it close to the full moon. Stop putting your child in danger. Oh wait...this is a freaking metaphor.... Bugger off! I didn't want a metaphor, there's plenty of warnings out there, plenty of real violence against women and children, we didn't need a metaphor for that either.

I want a good look at a great, well done creature! I want a moody, gothic, creepy and well done horror flick. The metaphor is already included...geez!

The beast inside is a film a lot of people are certainly going to pass up and miss - I personally blame the marketing approach. This film, if going in with the correct mindset will genuinely, at the very least, give you something to think about. If you head into this film expecting a creature feature, or a straight up horror film, you may get disappointed. This is a somber, dark emotional subject matter tackled in a successful way. This film knew what message it wanted to convey and ran with it.

Although there's a good chunk of things that can be labeled as flaws, some pacing issues, some scenes dragging on too long, etc - this film wraps things up masterfully, especially the final stretch of the film. Some really good preformances and electrifying interactions as well - when you think about the nitpicks or issues with the film, it's shadowed by the real intentions of this beast.

This isn't a scary film, it's a film that's tackling metaphors, symbolism; this film gives a good addition to the werewolf subgenre by offering a little bit of a new twist with emotional intention. On a horror standpoint, if you're seeking blood, action, etc. Like that, however? You may be disappointed. Head into this with the right mindset, mentally prepare for a darker message than usual and you may just have a good time. Now awful, surely not the worst of the year.

But ultimately, it just doesn't say anything new or do much of anything. Even as a metaphor for clearly the metaphor it is...for...,it's still just a big so what. It took an hour and a half to say that? The title and the epigram at the start of the movie were enough to deduce exactly what the "beastly" theme would be. Then it's 80 minutes of a child and/or piglet screeching, a sour-faced mother, a cliched grandfather and Jon Snow mugging about.

I am not even sure the Chekhovian apparatus was used effectively either. It was obvious from the beginning that girl child's affliction would come to play into the resolution but that could have blown up in their faces.

The movie made an attempt. But it is just slow, long and boring with little depth or bite.

Was this the greatest movie I've seen? No. With that said there was never a part I did not enjoy. Everyone thinks they are movie critics and expect every movie to be a classic. This movie was different from so many other movies. It had great acting, a decent story line and a twist at the end. They did all this with out having to spend massive amounts of money. This is a movie that will give you a thriller/mystery/fantasy all in one. The ending with leave you to interpret that in your own. If people relax and just watch movies with no expectation they will realize that they will start enjoying a lot more movies.

Unwatchably dull though beautifully shot ... The child is good ... James Cosmo is always good ... The woman was really annoying ... Harrington only works well with a good director ... The landscapes were wonderful ... But this should have been a werewolf film and kept to the idea of what it was ... Instead we get a director with ideas of trying to be clever ... What should have been the underlying idea of broken family and possible alcoholism ( ??? ) are instead to upfront instead of subconcious and drag this down into total tedium instead of running with excitement and having dark fun with it ... This totally comes down to direction and possibly editing, though its smooth enough... Not worth your time.