When making ‘monster as metaphor’ movies it’s helpful to have an actual monster. The set up feels like there’s a monster, all indicators suggest there’s lycanthropic shenanigans afoot, but then the movie pulls a bait and switch rendering much of the setup rather nonsensical. The ‘monster’ is domestic violence you see, with a little girl having nightmares of a werewolf inspired by her father’s tales and the fact he has a monthly ritual in which he is chained up during the full moon in a remote locale to prevent him from wolfing out. Which, again the setup only really makes sense if he were an actual werewolf, but I digress… Hopefully this spoiler saves potential viewers from a tedious runtime and false promises. The little girl delivers a pretty decent performance and the rest of the cast features a minor reunion for former lord-commanders of the Night’s Watch, one of which is a great actor, and the other is Kit Harrington. He continues the same sullen, wooden performance that is the cornerstone of his acting prowess. Despite some lovely settings and cinematography, this film is a waste of time and intelligence, not worth the time or effort and leaves a genuine lament this wasn’t an adaptation of Gabriel Knight 2.
The Beast Within (2024)