Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE BEAST WITHIN [Fantasia Film Festival 2024 - Montreal, Quebec]

The idea of protection versus duty especially in the perspective of a father to daughter is an intersecting diatribe. With “The Beast Within” [World Premiere] starring Kit Harrington as the titular beast, it is an interesting irony of his character’s bleakness but also his irony of control. He cannot control his anger as if the beast creeps completely into his subconscious. The most interesting scenes are not of transformation but him wrestling with his sense of nature. At one point he sits in a grotto trying to explain to his daughter when his curse was revealed to him. It is riveting but unfortunately the rest of the film cannot live up to this tendency.

There are also scenes where he discusses destiny and tries to dote on his daughter but in almost a multiple personality way battles his emotions in front of her. An interesting progression to be sure. However a lot of the film deals with his wife trying to defend his actions and that he can’t control it. Her father tries to help but he thinks it can only turn out badly which is probably a smart assessment in the long run. Ultimately a choice is made but it is probably the only possible outcomee. Still, the film operates more as a cautionary tale. “The Beast Within” is a genre film with some good ideas but perhaps not enough to truly tell in the gothic sense it needs to. B-

By Tim Wassberg