The Beasts
The Beasts
Genres Drama ,Thriller
Directors Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Writer Isabel Peña
Country Spain
Votes 22955
Rating 7.5
IMDBID tt15006566
Runtime 137
Languages French
Release 20 Jul, 2022
Cast Marina Foïs ,Denis Ménochet ,Luis Zahera ,Diego Anido ,Marie Colomb
With big plans to farm the land and sell vegetables at the local market for a living, former teacher Antoine and his supportive wife Olga have left their comfortable life in France behind to seek a fresh start in a remote rural part of Galicia. Instead, the dream turned sour--resentment, xenophobia, and a corrosive undercurrent of unrelenting animosity awaited the grizzled French couple. Because, like it or not, when your immediate neighbours plan an all-out war, there is no turning back. And as tensions simmer and the inflamed row escalates into a full-blown vendetta, the inevitable clash between the newcomers and the locals can only end in a shocking outbreak of violence that changes everything.
CinemaSerf
"Olga" (Marina Foïs) and husband "Antoine" (Denis Ménochet) have recently located to a remote Spanish farming community where they are trying to make their living in as organic fashion as they can. Their neighbours, "Xan" (an excellent Luis Zahera) and "Loren" (Diego Anido) immediately take against them as they are determined to accept an offer from a wind turbine company that will see them realise some money from their land and offer an alternative to their otherwise pretty subsistence living. What now ensues is one of the finest examples of cinematographic intimidation I have ever seen. Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen allows the tension to build without providing a spark-point. The angry characterisation of the bully that is "Xan" simmers as former teacher "Antoine" tries almost everything to avoid losing his temper. When the pot does over-boil - as is inevitable - the story starts to falls away for me a bit and the last half hour, though poignant, increasingly lacked plausibility. The said, there is a palpable degree of nastiness portrayed here that is way more effective than any you will see in an horror film. The writing is clever and sharp and the exposure it offers us to just how communities can turn on each other when money rears it's ugly head makes this a remarkably effective character study of human nature and venality. Some fine cinematography helps to deliver a perfect scenario for this menacing drama that sees a competent cast knit well and present a truly scary story.
posts by : CinemaSerfBadelf
Living in a small town of retarded drunks who take a dislike to me for petty, subconscious reasons is probably my worst nightmare. This film brought my nightmare to life. Scary!
posts by : BadelfBornKnight
How much spoiler you can put on a poster? All of it it seems... The movie exposes some of the xenophobe caused by material issues that can happen anywhere in the world, but in Spain in this case against a couple of French that survives by an ecosutenatible live. The tensions rise up to peak and unavoidable point. Good acting, believable story, hard to watch - but with and open end that we (hope) wish for justice. A 7.5 out of 10.0 for me, B+. But could be better.
posts by : BornKnight