DVD Corner

The Beast Within Blu-ray Review

“The Beast Within” bites. 

Written by Greer Ellison and Alexander J. Farrell (who also directed the film), “The Beast Within” is a horror-drama tale set that centers around a family of four- Imogen (the mother/wife), Noah (the father/husband), Willow (the daughter) and Waylon (the grandpa). The four live in a remote English countryside far away from anyone. The story is told from the POV of Willow (who has health issues) as she tries to figure out what her parents are hiding. She routinely sees them have late night outings but doesn’t know what is going on. One night she follows them and discovers that her father is transported away from the house because he transforms into a werewolf every full moon. To no surprise whatsoever, the werewolf Noah eventually winds up showing up back at the house one night. Chaos ensues.

To the credit of Ellison and Farrell, they do attempt to put a new spin on a werewolf film by creating a story about a toxic family dynamic, domestic abuse, and trauma as Noah turns out to be a monster in more ways than one. Unfortunately, the writing lets the entire premise do. It’s hard to buy into anything happening on screen. You never really understand why Imogen would stick with Noah as he shows so very few positive aspects as a father and a husband. It’s even more baffling why she would endanger Willow like that. There’s plenty of other eye-rolling character moments here including a gun drop, the lack of house fortifications, and so forth. 

Perhaps the most puzzling thing about “The Beast Within” is that it’s a family drama that forgets to be a horror film. Farrell really goes out of his way to hide the werewolf which leaves viewers having to suffer through a slow-burn story in which relatively little happens until the ending (which feels entirely rushed and predictable).

Kit Harrington is usually a robotic actor, but he challenges himself here. He doesn’t have much in the way of dialogue, but it was refreshing to see the actor take a darker role. He does a fine job here. It’s just a shame the script let him down. Caoilinn Springall who plays Willow is the real MVP here. She does a fine job guiding the narrative and allowing viewers to see the story through her perspective.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1 1080p. Grade: B+

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: B+

Extras include trailers for “The Beast Within,” “Before Dawn,” “Ride,” and Sting.”

October 19, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Horror Movie, Kit Harrington, The Beast Within Blu-ray Review, The Beast Within Movie, Werewolf Movie