To paraphrase a common idiom, you ‘can’t let the [beasts] grind you down.’
Set in the Galacian countryside, The Beasts tells the story of Antoine (Denis Menochet) and Olga (Marina Fois), a French couple who purchase a small organic farm. Working the land, the couple also purchases and renovates small homes with the hopes of attracting new residents to the community. Nevertheless, their presence is met with unwelcome glares from the area’s residents. What’s more, when a company offers to purchase the community in order to install a wind turbine, the gap between them widens. Happy with their plan, Antoine and Olga refuse to participate, despite the community’s insistence. Suddenly, the couple draw the ire of residents who believed that the windfall would be their ticket to independence and a better life.
Operating on a slow burn, The Beasts is a riveting and ferocious drama that unravels in unexpected ways. Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Beasts takes its time in telling his story, but never fails to grip the viewer. Using long takes as a storytelling device, Sorgoyen ensures that the days feel long. This is a place where time slows down and we are meant to feel the burden weighs heavily upon these characters.
After all, this is a world where the land is rough and the characters, rougher.
In many ways, the people of this community are a product of their environment. Although Antoine insists that he is from the area, he has only been a part of the community for two years. For the rest, this is a space that they have grown up within. As French-speaking immigrants, Antoine and Olga are outsiders and the locals refuse to allow them to find comfort within the hills. Having been raised amidst its challenges and tough conditions, they are children of the land. Harsh and unyielding, this area represents their lifeblood and has shaped their story.
However, when the opportunity to abandon their community is presented to them, they begin to realize just how truly toxic the area has become. Suddenly, something within them begins to break down, leaving them susceptible to their animalistic impulses. As a result, it does not take the viewers long to understand just what it means to be a ‘beast’ in this world. Although the film is far from graphic, there is a brutality with this film that still feels somewhat shocking. Very quickly, locals such as Xan and Lorenzo start to show their true colors, creating a sense of unease and terror with every appearance. For Antoine, these men become the wild animals that harass their family in the night. While you cannot always see them, you know that they are there, bringing with them the potential to do real damage.
Within this context, the heart of The Beasts seems to grapple with what it means to keep one’s soul in the midst of a toxic environment. As Antoine and Olga continue to be threatened, so too do they refuse to be molded into the likeness of those around them. As the pressure increases, the couple find themselves tempted to take matters into their own hands. But, for them, survival is more than about their personal safety. Instead, it’s about not confirming to the cruelty that surrounds them.
And that can be even more difficult than simply making it through the day.
The Beasts is available on VOD on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023.
