Kit Harrington stars as the patriarch of a family with a secret in The Beast Within. New to Blu-ray from Well Go USA.
The Film
The Beast Within falls on the family drama side of its story rather than the horror version of a young girl finding out that her father is a lycanthrope. Kit Harington shines in his all-too-brief appearance in this film.
Co-writer/director Alexander J. Farrell makes the decision not to show the werewolf of our story and focus on the chamber room aspect of this tragic tale of family. The film is told from the perspective of Willow (Caoilinn Springall) the daughter of Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) and Noah (Harington). Their daughter has constantly questions. Why do they live in the middle of nowhere? Why does she rarely see her father? Why do her mother and grandfather take pigs within them in the middle of the night? Why does her father’s moods change so abruptly?
We know instantly. Not because we’ve seen the trailer but because the story and filmmakers make it obvious and do everything but show Noah as the werewolf. Therein lies the issue. There is something lacking in this version of the book by Edward Levy (there was another adaptation starring Ronnie Cox in 1982, but that film bears no resemblance to this film or the novel). The lack of lycanthropes is one thing. More than anything it is the lack of Noah/Harrington. The central conceit of the demons within us all and those secrets families keep is all but deflated because of the lack of narrative drive and the lack of Noah as a force in the story.
The film is visually astute with Farrell’s collaboration with cinematographer Daniel Katz providing an evocative visual palette of the English countryside. However, one wishes they had spent more time on their adaptation as the seeds are there for something truly unsettling and thought-provoking. As it stands now The Beast Within is an admirable misfire.
The Transfer
Regardless of my thoughts on the film, the Blu-ray is a stunning example of how good the home video format can be with a natural light shot film. The film makes the transition to Blu-ray beautifully. The digitally shot film looks crisp and sharp even during the darkest of moments on Blu-Ray. The image shows no signs of defects or any of the issues that come up with digitally shot films.
The Extras
They include the following;
Trailer
Trailer (2:02)
The Final Thought
The Beast Within on Blu-ray is sure to please fans of the film with its beautiful transfer and aggressive sound mix.
Kit Harrington stars as the patriarch of a family with a secret in The Beast Within. New to Blu-ray from Well Go USA.
The Film
The Beast Within falls on the family drama side of its story rather than the horror version of a young girl finding out that her father is a lycanthrope. Kit Harington shines in his all-too-brief appearance in this film.
Co-writer/director Alexander J. Farrell makes the decision not to show the werewolf of our story and focus on the chamber room aspect of this tragic tale of family. The film is told from the perspective of Willow (Caoilinn Springall) the daughter of Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) and Noah (Harington). Their daughter has constantly questions. Why do they live in the middle of nowhere? Why does she rarely see her father? Why do her mother and grandfather take pigs within them in the middle of the night? Why does her father’s moods change so abruptly?
We know instantly. Not because we’ve seen the trailer but because the story and filmmakers make it obvious and do everything but show Noah as the werewolf. Therein lies the issue. There is something lacking in this version of the book by Edward Levy (there was another adaptation starring Ronnie Cox in 1982, but that film bears no resemblance to this film or the novel). The lack of lycanthropes is one thing. More than anything it is the lack of Noah/Harrington. The central conceit of the demons within us all and those secrets families keep is all but deflated because of the lack of narrative drive and the lack of Noah as a force in the story.
The film is visually astute with Farrell’s collaboration with cinematographer Daniel Katz providing an evocative visual palette of the English countryside. However, one wishes they had spent more time on their adaptation as the seeds are there for something truly unsettling and thought-provoking. As it stands now The Beast Within is an admirable misfire.
The Transfer
Regardless of my thoughts on the film, the Blu-ray is a stunning example of how good the home video format can be with a natural light shot film. The film makes the transition to Blu-ray beautifully. The digitally shot film looks crisp and sharp even during the darkest of moments on Blu-Ray. The image shows no signs of defects or any of the issues that come up with digitally shot films.
The Extras
They include the following;
Trailer (2:02)
The Final Thought
The Beast Within on Blu-ray is sure to please fans of the film with its beautiful transfer and aggressive sound mix.
Well Go USA’s Blu-Ray edition of The Beast Within is out October 22nd
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