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 Within is one of those films that you finish and immediately wish you hadn't started. Despite having two lead actors who found success in Game of Thrones, this movie is a complete letdown. The plot drags on endlessly, the characters are paper-thin, and the dialogue is clumsy and uninspired. You keep waiting for something to happen, but it never does.

It feels like the filmmakers thought they had a clever concept, but it just doesn't work. The supposed horror elements are poor at best, and the story is almost none existent and incredibly frustrating. There's some tension, no real scares, and no reason to care about anything that's happening on screen short of being frustrated by the poor choices the main characters constantly make.

Honestly, it's hard to believe this movie got made, and I can't help but think it only did because of the actors' recent fame. Do yourself a favour and skip this one. It's not worth the time or effort.

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.

I can't relate to nor root for idiots and their stupid decisions. I have no energy left. This movie is a frustrating watch. The characters' illogical choices make it impossible to sympathize with them, and the plot never fully delivers the tension it promises. What could have been a gripping thriller is undermined by poor pacing and weak storytelling as well as a poor premise. Any potential it had is squandered by its inability to engage or surprise, leaving me exhausted, annoyed and disappointed. It doesn't make any sense and I wonder why Kit Harington chose this. He played well, but couldn't save anything.

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.