For fans of horror films, at times, it feels like the classic monster tropes are done to death. Made famous in Hollywood thanks to the classic Universal films, vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, and The Mummy have been produced and reproduced by almost every studio. You would think that over the past almost 100 years of horror filmmaking, audiences would have gotten tired of the same monsters and stories on repeat. Still, with improving technology and new spins on these classic stories, people can’t get enough of the creatures that go bump in the night. In this vein, Well Go USA and Arclight Films’ The Beast Within is told, spinning a human tale for a monster that is as terrifying as it is tragic.
Releasing in theaters this weekend, The Beast Within is directed by Alexander J. Farrell (Refugee, Lighthouse Lesvos) and written by the director along with Greer Taylor Ellison (How to Date Billy Walsh) and stars one of the most recognizable faces from the past decade of television. Kit Harington is the face of this new horror film and is joined on screen by Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, and Caoilinn Springall.
The Beast Within utilizes the monster trope in a way that I haven’t seen in many recent horror films, going more for unsettling vibes instead of outright scares. Perhaps The Beast Within should be on your watchlist if you’re looking for something unique in the oversaturated landscape of recent scary films.
[Warning: spoilers from The Beast Within are below!]
Sickness and secrets wind through this film from Well Go USA and Arclight Films
If there’s one thing you should know about Willow (Springall), she’s resilient. Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere with her family isn’t easy, but she continues to find beauty in life each and every day. She adores her mother, Imogen (Cummings), and seems rather attached to her grandfather, Waylon (Cosmo). Together, the three of them live a simple life, and if it wasn’t for the secrets buried in the woods around their house and even within the walls of their home, they might be able to thrive.
However, as so many of us know rather intimately, secrets never stay buried, especially when that secret happens to be your father. The elusive Noah (Harington) hides away in the family estate, with a dark and foreboding presence that hangs over everyone. With the curse of lycanthropy running in her family, it’s no surprise there’s danger everywhere. However, it’s not the outside world hunting her father that she should be worried about, as it’s the beast within that strikes fear in the hearts of everyone around.
The secrets that completely encapsulate this family threaten to tear them apart, like the teeth of the wolf ready to strike. Can Willow survive the horrors in her family, or is she destined to repeat the same trials that have plagued them for generations? You’ll have to see The Beast Within to discover those answers.
A deeper message lies at the heart of The Beast Within
For most horror films from recent years, there isn’t much beyond the surface. What you see is what you get, trading nuanced and layered storytelling for jump scares and fountains of blood. This is not necessarily bad, as I enjoy a popcorn flick as much as the next person. In fact, mindless horror films can be among my favorites because it’s nice to be able to shut off your brain and just exist with the story in front of you. That being said, every once in a while, I want a horror film that stops and makes you think more profoundly about the film and the context of what it’s exploring. It’s this second wheelhouse that The Beast Within lives.
At its core, this horror film explores the concept of what it means to be human, specifically for those we consider monsters. When we think of a monster such as a werewolf, we believe there’s a lack of control that person has over their actions. Transforming into a werewolf moves someone’s thinking from critical to instinctual. They are no longer human but entirely beasts, which means there’s a removal from the responsibility the audience gives these creatures. It isn’t their fault; it’s the curse or disease that they suffer from.
The Beast Within flips that script by first exploring it through a microscope. Willow, like most children her image, idolizes her parents, not understanding the depth of the situation her mother and father are struggling with. She sees the bruises across her mother’s midsection but doesn’t quite know how it relates to her father or if it is even connected at all. As the audience, we quickly draw that conclusion, but even that is wrong.
We assume that the mother intervenes and gets hurt to either protect those around her or help the father through his transition, but by the end of the film, it seems the mother is not the beast, but the man. This paradigm shift elevated this from a basic horror film to something more. This perspective change of what constitutes a monster made me want to watch this film multiple times.
The Beast Within is more so a case study about the human condition than it ever was on what it means to be a werewolf. It’s a coming-of-age story set in a family of generational abuse and what that does to someone growing up. As a psychologist, I see the damage untreated family trauma can have on children, creating maladaptive behaviors to cope with the stress. Willow is a prime example, having learned to react, but only when pushed to the edge. The writers and director took great care to understand how traumas like these develop and create well-rounded characters that represent real-life issues.
Be sure to catch The Beast Within in theaters
The Beast Within is a quality horror movie, not because of its special effects or high budget but because of the story that it contains. The filmmakers attempted to bring humanity back to this classic creature, albeit the worst parts of humanity and achieved it with apparent ease. They explored the disastrous impact of anger and rage through the lens of a well-known monster. Kit Harington is chill inducing in this role, perhaps being one of the best pieces of cinema to his name. The Beast Within is a unique movie that all horror lovers will devour, so check it out in a theater near you!
The Beast Within is currently playing in theaters. Let us know if you have seen or plan to see this film!
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