A mind-bending new sci-fi epic is on the way from director Bertrand Bonello. The Beast is preparing for its United States release and has dropped its first eerie trailer.
The film enjoyed its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2023. So far, it has received high praise from critics, earning a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and a nomination for Venice’s top award, the Golden Lion. Critics have described it as an ambitious, innovative, and almost unwieldy work of science fiction that tackles both the past and future in a sophisticated manner. Despite its early success, The Beast faced some obstacles to making it to the screen.
Filming of the movie was delayed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, it was rejected by the Cannes Film Festival, with Bonello stating the festival “didn’t like it.” Fortunately, Venice proved to be a strong launchpad for The Beast. Now that it is on its way to the United States, here’s everything we know so far about Bonello’s unique new film.
The Beast‘s trailer teases a dark future
Janus Film dropped the first official U.S. trailer for The Beast on February 13. The film does not yet have a theatrical U.S. release date, though the trailer promised it would be coming soon. The Beast was already released theatrically in France on February 7, so the U.S. release should not be too far behind. Meanwhile, the trailer is bound to attract viewers’ attention.
The unsettling trailer sees a woman from the future undergoing a process to “purify” her DNA. This process involves being sent into her past lives in an attempt to get rid of past traumas she has accumulated over centuries. As she travels through her past lives, she finds herself drawn to various incarnations of her lover. There’s definitely a feeling of there being more to the story, given the haunting soundtrack and a sense of danger and horror that permeates the trailer.
Starring in the lead role of Gabrielle, the woman delving into her past lives, is Léa Seydoux, best known for her roles in Spectre, No Time to Die, The French Dispatch, and Blue Is the Warmest Colour. 1917 star George MacKay stars opposite Seydoux as Louis, Gabrielle’s love interest. Much of the film centers on Gabrielle and multiple versions of Louis. However, also appearing in the film are Guslagie Malanda as Poupee Kelly, Dasha Nekrasova as Darota, Martin Scali as Georges, Elina Löwensohn as La voyante, Marta Hoskins as Gina, Julia Faure as Sophie, and Kester Lovelace as Tom.
The Beast‘s official synopsis reads:
The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely “erase” their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent “retribution.” Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates?
The film is loosely based on The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James. The three main time periods it takes place across are 1910, 2014, and 2044. As a result, it’s a unique film that provides commentary on both the past and future. Its synopsis already hints at countless sophisticated themes about AI, the importance of feelings, and what an emotionless existence would really look like. The Beast‘s premise certainly sounds ambitious and innovative, and it will be fascinating to see how it pulls multiple timelines, incarnations, and stories together to convey its deep themes.
(featured image: Janus Films)
