Beast

CinemaSerf 12/25/2022 8:16:48PM 8.4

Jessie Buckley pulls out all the stops here and offers us a really strong performance in what is otherwise a rather unremarkable thriller. She is "Moll" who lives a pretty unfulfilled life under the watchful gaze of her mother "Hilary" (Geraldine James). She hooks up with wide boy "Pascal" (Johnny Flynn - or Tom Burke?) whom many suspect to be behind a series of killings that have rocked their island community. Increasingly shunned by her family and friends, she finds herself embroiled in the police investigation led by "Harrison" (Oliver Maltman) - a man who is also keen on young "Moll" - and gradually she, like us, begins to doubt the probity of her boyfriend's dubious character. There is something fitting about the ending, but I am afraid I found the rest of this just a bit too procedural with the usual dose of familial discord failing to chime with me at all. Buckley stands out and James always brings a bit of gravitas when she is on screen, but the remainder left me underwhelmed and borderline disinterested. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but this really didn't do much for me at all. Sorry.