Idris Elba isn’t just a star; he’s a cultural icon. Apart from his legendary work onscreen, he’s created an incredible body of work in other areas as well, delivering knockout punches – literally and figuratively – wherever he sets foot. His prowess is on display again as he stars in Beast, a fascinating, new thriller movie about an African safari gone horribly wrong.
What is Beast About?
In Beast, a recently widowed medical doctor, Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), goes on a trip to South Africa with his two daughters, Mer, and Norah, played by Iyana Halley and Leah Sava’ Jeffries, respectively. This adventure is Samuels’ attempt at connecting his girls to their roots (their late mom, Amahle, was from Mzansi), but also his way of reaching out to them for atonement. He blames himself – and senses the girls blame him too – for the chasm that culminated in Amahle’s death from cancer.
What was supposed to be a time of healing, however, turns into a frantic battle for survival as the family encounters a rogue lion, whose sole purpose in this film seems to be to hunt them down and rip them to pieces. Samuels must overcome his fears and become the father he’s supposed to be, in order to protect his daughters and himself.
An Amazing Cast
Beast also stars South African premium export, the inimitable Sharlto Copley, who plays the role of Martin Battles, Samuels’ longtime friend. The two men work well together onscreen, and Battles does a decent job of balancing Samuels out. Supporting them is a solid cast made up of mostly upcoming South African talent. On top of that, this is a huge showcase of the beauty of Africa and its stunning locations and wildlife.
A Thriller With An Important Message
Beast delivers on the promise of an entertaining, gripping survival movie thriller that’s designed to provide, thrills, screams and the occasional jump scare. Aside from some important messaging about the evils of poaching (likely the reason the lion antagonist is so mad with humans), there isn’t much complexity to it, and you won’t wish there were any. Baltasar Kormákur’s constantly moving camera won’t let your eyes rest and will make sure you always have something to be uncomfortable about.
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Idris Elba’s Beast is definitely a movie experience made for the big screen.
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