The Beast Within

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The Beast Within

R

Released Feb 12, 1982

1h 38m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

18%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

34%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Driving near a small Mississippi town in 1964, newlyweds Eli (Ronny Cox) and Caroline (Bibi Besch) experience car trouble. When Eli goes off to look for help, Caroline gets raped and is made pregnant by a horrible creature. Years later the child, now teenager Michael (Paul Clemens), finds himself undergoing an inexplicable physical change that compels him to return to that area in Mississippi. Soon dead bodies start piling up while his desperate parents struggle to understand what's happening.

Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

The beast within "The Beast Within" is a busy, riotous and confusing scenario that makes it seem as if the film is taking too long to make its point.

Apr 27, 2018

Full Review

Jason Shawhan

Nashville Scene

One of the most disturbing films made in Mississippi, The Beast Within is a dark fable with all the drama of Tennessee Williams and all the grand guignol cruelties one could hope for.

Sep 10, 2021

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

An unconvincing love story, an unexplained connection to cicadas, and an overwrought musical score can't quite dull the impressiveness of the makeup effects at the climax.

Rated: 5/10

Aug 31, 2020

Full Review

Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

The Beast Within is a real loser and not worth mentioning except to say don't waste your money.

Rated: 1/4

May 26, 2020

Full Review

Heather Wixson

Daily Dead

Because Mora doesn't go the usual route for The Beast Within, the film ends up being a bit of an oddball creature feature that often stumbles a bit tonally and suffers from some pacing issues around the midway point.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 8, 2016

Full Review

John Beifuss

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

A movie that suggests that not just the chickens but the locust-monsters inevitably will come home to roost in a postbellum South -- a 'Heart of Dixie' -- haunted by its violent, bigoted past.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 16, 2013

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Aisha B

Classic that should be in every 80s rotation

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

Tyler B

Wishing the story focused more on the growing pain concept, and less on finding his father.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/25

Full Review

Logan D

Seventeen years after giving birth to their son, parents (Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch) return to the area where the wife was raped. Hicks attempt to hide the truth. I was wondering who was playing the father. Oh! Lt. Andrew Bogomil ("The supercop story was working!") in Beverly Hills Cop. I had no idea he was also the guitar player in Deliverance! The film also features RG Armstrong, Don Gordon, LQ Jones, Meshach Taylor and others. Unfortunately, such a lineup doesn't result in a good film. It's bogged down by a lot of dull investigation into the mystery of the son's father. The police allow the father to help dig up bodies at a crime scene and even allow him to go first into a basement that might be dangerous. The redeeming feature of the film is an exceptional sequence of practical effects and makeup near the end. I'm thinking second only to An American Werewolf in London.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/26/24

Full Review

Pat R

This classic features the Who’s Who of 60s and 70s familiar B faces! Great story! Disgusting monster! Great lines! Great soundtrack! Genuinely scared the poop out of me when I first saw the theater!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/10/24

Full Review

Audience Member

/// No Spoilers here /// Worth a watch if you like psychological thrillers, the acting is great, the atmosphere can create some quite scary moments. It is funny though that every bad thing that happens can be seen as a direct result of the mother Imogen's incompetence.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/09/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm extremely surprised at the low rating! This movie is really good! If you like scary, intense, stuff this is it! The music in the beginning of the movie says it all. It has a great story great character, great timing and tempo. Definitely a must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Philippe Mora

Director

Ronny Cox

Eli MacCleary

Bibi Besch

Caroline MacCleary

Paul Clemens

Michael MacCleary

Don Gordon

Judge Curwin

R. G. Armstrong

Doc Schoonmaker

The Beast Within: Official Clip - The Beast Emerges

2:36

The Beast Within: Official Clip - A Taste for Blood

2:20

The Beast Within: Official Clip - A Murderer Running Loose

2:11

The Beast Within: Official Clip - The Judge Confesses

2:16

The Beast Within: Official Clip - Kill Me!

1:49

The Beast Within: Official Clip - Fresh Meat

1:52

The Beast Within: Official Clip - I Warned You

1:58

The Beast Within: Official Clip - So Much Blood

1:35

The Beast Within: Official Clip - I Came Back

2:07

The Beast Within: Official Clip - The Dog Finds a Hand

1:55

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Synopsis

Driving near a small Mississippi town in 1964, newlyweds Eli (Ronny Cox) and Caroline (Bibi Besch) experience car trouble. When Eli goes off to look for help, Caroline gets raped and is made pregnant by a horrible creature. Years later the child, now teenager Michael (Paul Clemens), finds himself undergoing an inexplicable physical change that compels him to return to that area in Mississippi. Soon dead bodies start piling up while his desperate parents struggle to understand what's happening.

Director: Philippe Mora
Producer: Harvey Bernhard, Gabriel Katzka
Screenwriter: Tom Holland
Production Co: Katzka
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 1982, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround

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