Kit Harington is a monster, inside and out, in this poorly written fable about domestic violence. The Beast Within follows a sickly young girl who wonders where her angry father goes on full moon nights. Her search for the truth is obvious to a bored audience waiting for the characters to reveal the obvious. The problem is that the werewolf element in this film masks a frightened family ruled by a tyrant. The title’s double entendre has poetic intent, but it doesn’t fill the void of common sense in a flawed story.
The Beast Within (2024)
1.5/5
Ten-year-old Willow follows her parents on a secret late-night trip deep into the ancient forest. After witnessing her father’s horrifying transformation, she too becomes trapped in the dark ancestral secrets her parents desperately try to hide.
Director: Alexander Farrell
Cast: Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, Caolin Springall
Duration: 1 hour 37 minutes
Author Alexander Farrell
Distributor: Well Go USA Entertainment
Pros: Caolin Springall is excellent as young Willow. Cons: The film falls short in its noble goal of depicting domestic violence. The ending, like many of the characters’ actions, is ridiculous and illogical. Too many moments feel like contrived plot devices to move a boring story forward.
From her attic window, Willow (Caolin Springal) watches a mysterious ritual play out like clockwork every night. Her mother, Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings), pulls a robed Noah (Harrington) into an old Land Rover and, with a squealing, caged pig in the back, drives from the family’s secluded English estate into the deep woods. Breathing in oxygen through a mask, Willow builds a house out of matchsticks. Her maternal grandfather, Waylon (James Cosmo), takes her outside and gives her a stern warning: she must stay inside the gate at all times.
The family has a solemn dinner in the dilapidated house without Noah. Willow returns to her room, receiving a sweet bedtime kiss from Imogen. The next morning she sees her father returning. Imogen tries to hide his naked body, but Willow sees that he is dirty and ragged. She shudders as she hears groans coming from the floorboards. The frightened girl blocks the door to the room with a toy horse.
Willow gathers up the courage to ask Imogen why her father left home. Where is he taking her? Imogen replies ominously that she is safe and protected – words that ring hollow when Willow decides to find out the truth. She sneaks out later that night to track the car and discovers a dark secret and the extraordinary efforts her parents went to to hide it.
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The Beast Within is told entirely from Willow’s point of view. She is neither stupid nor inquisitive, but like her mother and grandfather, she is constantly on edge about all things Noah. His character doesn’t speak until the second act and only catches brief glimpses. This is done purposefully to establish a timidness and wariness of his presence. Willow is afraid of her father, and not just because he has disappeared. Young Caolin Springall gives a fine performance in this film, but it’s disappointing, and even Kit Harington’s performance can’t save it.
The cure for Willow’s illness is mind-boggling. She carries around an oxygen tank (a MacGuffin). The movie never explains why she’s ill. When Willow panics, she gasps and puffs. A beast wants to rip you apart if you don’t wear a breathing tube. And yet she can run like a gazelle through the woods and up rickety stairs without breaking a sweat. Willow’s lungs only give way when the script requires it.
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Director and co-writer Alexander J. Farrell (Refugee) wants to use horror as a medium to tell a story of domestic violence. We are first led to believe that the bruises on Imogen’s body are the result of Noah’s wildness. He is helpless; an uncontrollable wolf is attacking. However, when Noah’s aggressive nature takes on a human form and attacks his family, this is clearly not the case. He goes from being kind and lovable to being cruel in an instant. His wife and daughter love him but are scared of what he will become.
There are obvious problems with how the script handles this change, most notably the odd relationship between Imogen and Waylon. She curses her father for caring about their well-being, yet he also lives on the property, helps her deceive Noah, and takes no action against the man who proves to be a physical danger to his daughter and granddaughter. Why would he help Noah and allow his family to live in dangerous conditions? Waylon’s actions are unbelievable.
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The Beast Within falls into silly genre tropes with a perplexing climax that could have happened at any point in the film. Why would all the precautions taken to make the house safe fail at that particular time? There is no triggering event. What happens in the ending could have been the opening scene. The characters also act in a way that has absolutely no thought of self-preservation, which contradicts their earlier description of being extremely careful. Imogen had planned this exact scenario but somehow screws it up. She makes a silly mistake that defies logic and will have the audience groaning out loud.
Escaping an abuser is never easy. Imogen loves Noah, despite all he has done and can do. Her pure feelings are the shackles that bind her in a toxic marriage. But he won’t let her leave with Willow. In that sense, The Beast Within gets one thing right.
The Beast Within is a co-production with Paradox House, Filmology Finance and Ill Luxury. It’s currently in limited theatrical release from Well Go USA Entertainment. Check out the trailer below.
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