Sometimes the rustle in the bushes actually is a monster. For those who like creature feature thrillers, Beast has found its streaming home just in time for Halloween.
Beast will be streaming exclusively on Peacock, to join the lion’s pride of other movies like Jurassic World Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Vengeance, Brian and Charles, The Black Phone, The Bad Guys, Downton Abbey: A New Era, and The Northman that are exclusive to the streaming platform. Idris Elba, one of the stars of the film, said in an interview with Syfy that the title of the film, and calling the lion a “beast” is meant to “evoke something in the audience. But when you watch the film, it’s a bit more than that.” Elba further explained that the symbolism of the film’s title is, quite literally, the nature of who is the beast: is it the beast itself, or is it human beings?
The director, Baltasar Kormákur (Everest, 2 Guns, and Contraband), in the same interview, wanted to show how nature truly was, and remove the rose-colored glasses that some have in terms of nature, as well as “trying to make it [the movie] a more immersive and intense experience.”
Beast, based on a story written by Jaime Primak Sullivan, stars Elba (The Suicide Squad), who plays widower Dr. Nate Daniels. He travels to South Africa, where he first met his wife, with his two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley, The Hate U Give) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries, Empire). The family travel to a game reserve managed by a long-time family friend and wildlife biologist, Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll). The trip, meant for the family to grieve and heal after the loss of their loved one, turns into a nightmare when a lion, once chased by poachers and considered prey, turns into the apex predator once again as he stalks and hunts the family.
The movie was released to middling reviews with Collider’s own Ross Bonaime writing, “Kormákur’s playing with the silent, quiet moments, mixed with the frenetic and hurried attacks is a jolt of excitement that mostly works throughout.” The movie is written by Ryan Engle and produced by Kormákur, Will Packer and James Lopez with Sullivan and Bernard Bellew as executive producers.
Beast will be streaming on Peacock from October 7. It will also be available on digital on the same day, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 11. Check out the trailer below: