The Beast

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The Beast

Released Apr 5, 2024

2h 26m

Drama

Romance

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

139 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent "retribution." Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates? Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James' turn-of-the-century novella, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, The Beast poignantly conveys humanity's struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence.

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Critics Consensus

Unwieldy but rewarding, The Beast uses its sci-fi conceit to explore intriguing themes in largely satisfying fashion.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

The Beast gives a sense of an artist burrowing deep inside his material (and his moment) and emerging with something vital. It’s fearless filmmaking.

Jul 23, 2024

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

About halfway through Bertrand Bonello’s insanely knotty new picture – a Spaghetti Junction of semi-discrete timelines – one version of Léa Seydoux gives in to frustration. “What the f**k are you talking about!” she yells into the ether. What indeed?

Rated: 3/5

Jul 13, 2024

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

Against any rhyme or reason, it works.

Jun 5, 2024

Full Review

Stephen A. Russell

Orion's Shoulder (Substack)

Bonnello’s formally daring dystopia pairs an equally chameleonic Léa Seydoux and George MacKay in a time-hopping puzzle box that’s as romantic as it is skin-crawling, constantly second-guessing us while staying three steps ahead.

Jan 2, 2025

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

It passes through my eyes like a QR code, one of those that you scan without feeling anything. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Nov 23, 2024

Full Review

Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

Although a cerebral film, it’s arguably Bonello’s most accessible. The compartmentalised structure makes the runtime more than palatable, and the repeated symbols and motifs he uses throughout are clear in their utility

Rated: 3

Sep 4, 2024

Full Review

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Kelvin G

This was very well acted and shot well, but the story was just meh. There was entirely too much dialogue. The end was somewhat abrupt too.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/24/24

Full Review

Will

A very strange movie that uses a sci-fi framework to examine difficulties people face in forming connections and sustaining relationships very ambitious and not totally successful, it benefits from a strong lead in Lea Seydoux and sharp direction. Still, it bites off more than it can chew thematically.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/24

Full Review

Remy

Strange movie but made me think and was entertaining

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/23/24

Full Review

Dotan

First half was very boring and then the rest mad 0 sense

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

Thor K

An inscrutable, tedious and often baffling film that seems to revel in its ability to confound. Very unsatisfying.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

Full Review

Jeremiah C

A movie about artificial intelligence that feels like it was made by artificial intelligence. There may be some set pieces here that are fun to indulge, but ultimately the movie is plotless, the emotional undertones are muted, and the more philosophical themes are underdeveloped and thereby rendered uninteresting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/29/24

Full Review

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Bertrand Bonello

Director

Léa Seydoux

Gabrielle

George MacKay

Louis

Guslagie Malanda

Poupée Kelly

Dasha Nekrasova

Dakota

Elina Löwensohn

la voyante

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The Beast: First Look - Close Your Eyes

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Awards Leaderboard: Best Movies of 2024

The Beast: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent "retribution." Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates? Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James' turn-of-the-century novella, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, The Beast poignantly conveys humanity's struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence.

Director: Bertrand Bonello
Producer: Justin Taurand, Bertrand Bonello, Xavier Dolan, Nancy Grant
Screenwriter: Bertrand Bonello, Bertrand Bonello, Guillaume Bréaud, Benjamin Charbit
Distributor: Sideshow / Janus Films
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 18, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $414.0K
Runtime: 2h 26m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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