Review: The Beast – Time after time

Directed by Bertrand Bonello
Starring Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda

6/10

In an AI-ruled future, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) is seeking a more rewarding profession. As humans are considered to be prone to emotional extremes, she must undergo treatment to balance her emotions. Such treatment involves her experiencing her past lives in 1910 and 2014 and coming to terms with the lingering sense of dread her demise caused.

There’s certainly some readily apparent flaws with this. Languid to the point of self-indulgence, The Beast fails to justify its long run time. It’s also narratively and thematically fractured, seeming more like an anthology with an extended wrap-around than a cohesive whole. That second time jump is so stylistically different as to be jarring and is more akin to starting the narrative again at the halfway mark.

Despite that, there is some cohesiveness provided by repeating events, characters, and themes that do link the overall narrative, but there are certainly some moments where that feels tenuous.

Thematically, The Beast is also a messy film. Inspired by The Beast in the Jungle, its exploration of the thematic grist of Henry James’ novella inadvertently argues the contrary view equally as well.

Although the film seeks to support the original message of life being experienced despite the risks, many of the decisions made by the protagonists are reckless to the point of suicidal. The sheer buffoonery of many of these key moments robs the film of its messaging. As such, The Beast is often at cross purposes with itself.

Yet, despite the many flaws, there’s something oddly fascinating here. Director Bertrand Bonello’s recreation of three eras (and their associated film tropes) is solid. Each feels alien to the other, despite recurring characters and small narrative similarities.

Then there’s the sense of existential dread hanging over each of the eras. Yet even with severe environmental catastrophes encroaching on every era, that dread is purposely blunted almost to banality by its everyday nature. Even with the confused nature of the film, it’s compelling enough that it’ll have audiences contemplating images and scenes for weeks afterwards.

Then there’s Léa Seydoux’s central performance, managing to bring three distinct characters on screen while linking them with an underlying ennui and dread. Each is of the period they’re set in, adopting the mannerisms and tropes, while the consistent thread is that overwhelming fear of engagement. Given the excessive runtime, she manages to do well to hold audiences’ attention.

A beautiful and flawed piece, but one that’s at least thought-provoking, The Beast is not necessarily a recommendation, but certainly a film that will have ardent supporters.

DAVID O’CONNELL