Beast delivers on its core premise but fails to exceed expectations. To elaborate, occasionally you'll attend a movie for one reason and end up appreciating it for a different reason all together. This is not one of those movies. However, there are a few outlier scenes within the film that are far superior to the baseline the movie sets for itself. My personal favorite is a truly touching monologue delivered by Elba in the first act of the film in which he expresses his regret at his inability to save his wife from terminal cancer. Another, obviously, is the brutal fight scene between Elba and the lion in the final act that is sure to cause the more delicate audience members to look away. As for me, my eyes were glued to the screen. Unfortunately, the writing stymied the film's momentum, as the middle third struggled to bridge the gap between the onset of the attack and the climactic ending. The children's characters weren't particularly well realized either, partly because of their decision-making (which you can also attribute to the writing), and partly because of subpar acting. But ultimately, you pretty much get what you expect: Idris Elba going to war against a massive lion to protect his family.
Review of Beast
