Jersey Affair

Don't read about it - just watch it - you are wondering who is the real beast from beginning until the end. Beautiful location, the unrealistic supporting cast actually adds to the intrigue. This thing could have had many endings, the one used is fitting.

Moll is a young woman living at home in a small community. She feels stifled by her family after a tragic incident when she was thirteen. She falls for a passing stranger named Pascal Renouf with a dark side. Young girls are going missing and a serial killer is suspected on the loose.

Jessie Buckley is intriguing. Johnny Flynn is a classic bad boy. All he's missing is a motorcycle. The movie starts with Moll's birthday party. It would be informative to declare loudly Moll's age to fix the power dynamics of her character with her family. I assumed her to be younger at the beginning which makes a big difference. There is a great brooding dark atmosphere. A few of the scenes travel in the style of horrors. I assumed a shocking twist which would have Moll as the killer. That could have been a fun reveal. The ending is fine. It's darkly haunting if a little safe. Overall, this has a great tone and solid performances.

I had wanted to see this for ages. I finally caught it on E4. The adverts sucked, but the film was even better than I anticipated. I knew it would be good, but figured I'd be let down. Not so. I'm looking forward to watching it again (without the ads).

//Revelation Film Festival Review//

A psychological drama that steadily ratchets up tension, Beast is best entered into blind. For those who need a little more persuasion, the story follows a young woman, a mysterious man and a series of unexplained killings in a small seaside town. As both their past mistakes come back to haunt them, is all as it seems?

As Michael Pearce's debut feature, Beast is an assured first effort. Just when you think you know where it's heading it makes you question your assumptions and you'll be second guessing until the very end. A pleasant surprise that's definitely worth checking out.

'Beast (2018)' is about toxic relationships, in all their forms: with your lover, your mother, your father, your siblings, your ex, your town, your past, your nature, yourself. Moll, brilliantly and subtly portrayed by Buckley, is caught in a tangled web of manipulation, mistreated by pretty much everyone in her life. The film, essentially, chronicles her growth from timid and trampled-on to uncaged and triumphant (in a counter-intuitive sort of way). She's certainly put through the wringer, pushed to her very limits and then pushed passed even those. Someone almost unrecognisable emerges from the other side. Even though the contrast is stark, it's gradual enough that it makes perfect sense. Her transformation is incredibly satisfying, constantly moving forward and often taking unexpected turns. Of course, it's sparked by the arrival of Pascal, portrayed a little (though, somewhat appropriately) flatly by Flynn. He's an enigmatic entity that undergoes a number of shifts himself, which usually relate to how we perceive him. Since we're constantly in Moll's perspective, our opinion of the guy shifts whenever her's does but, even when she trusts him the most, you're not quite sure what to make of him. This keeps you on your toes and is helped immensely by the fact that the feature isn't predictable at all. The relatively unconventional narrative shifts around in unforeseen ways and makes a number of bold moves, especially towards its end. Its surprise third act is actually a delight, even if the end of the second act initially seems like it should be the plot's culmination. The movie often leans into its more horrific aspects by presenting itself as a horror, using music and atmosphere to create some really creepy sequences. It balances this well with its more conventionally romantic moments, which are actually just as creepy in retrospection, that do a good job of conveying the connection between its two focal characters. The whole thing is exceedingly thematically-rich and layered. Not only does it make you think, it actually gets under your skin. It gets in your head and stays there; it's a rewarding experience, for sure. It's a unique, mysterious piece that's engaging throughout. 8/10