Fantasia Film Festival 2024 Review: Unveiling THE BEAST WITHIN in Alexander J Farrell's Gripping Tale

Courtesy Well Go USA

By Sarah Musnicky

The constant stepping on eggshells, the sharp shot of adrenalin hitting when a voice is raised, sudden slams catching the breath away; for many around the world, these incidents are the markers of home. There is a cycle, a pattern to these incidents, that people tailor their lives around. In the case of writer/director Alexander J. Farrell's latest film, THE BEAST WITHIN, a werewolf curse adds an additional layer to this vicious domestic cycle that is doomed to repeat itself until the curse breaks.

In THE BEAST WITHIN (formerly titled What Remains Of Us), the situation in the household is emotionally charged. This becomes clear after the opener as the mother, Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings), readily prepares for Noah's (Kit Harington) monthly cycle in secrecy. Despite their attempts to hide the truth from her, 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall) has questions. Questions that no one is ready to answer until Willow pushes the envelope.

Thanks to Daniel Katz's lens, Noah becomes a harbinger of doom early on. Fleeting glimpses of the father shroud him in secrecy, painting him as a boogeyman long before his first outburst onscreen. Trapped in a "tower," i.e., her room, there's an almost fairytale-like quality to our introduction of Willow and her father. With the story mostly told from Willow's perspective, these choices paint an impression of the heroine type trapped by the big scary monster.

Willow's perspective shapes the narrative, creating something akin to a dream at times. Setting her at the age of 10 is a smart decision. The adolescent age keeps her tethered in childhood, but acute awareness of adult situations and peculiarities manifests. As do behavioral issues and worries. Caoilinn Springall's performance balances these elements without getting lost.

Trapped in a cycle herself, Willow's mother, Imogen, is both caretaker and enforcer. Aided by her father, Waylon (James Cosmo), with whom she has her own strained relationship, Imogen's life revolves around taking care of her two dependents. Throughout the course of THE BEAST WITHIN, we can see how this eats away at Imogen.

Cummings' portrayal of Imogen, coupled with Farrell and co-writer Greer Taylor Ellison's writing, is arguably polarizing. Society wants a perfect victim (which doesn't exist, mind you), and Imogen is not that. In some ways, Imogen is complicit in perpetuating the cycle she's trapped in. Interactions with Waylon, Noah, and Willow fill in the gaps to answer the question in viewers' minds. There is a self-destructiveness that bubbles, a different kind of beast entirely separate from her husband's.

Courtesy Well Go USA

This trapped feeling is further emphasized by the film's setting. Shot on location at the Harewoods Woods and Castle, Noah's familial home in THE BEAST WITHIN is falling into ruin. It is slowly crumbling, with its antiquated trimmings hinting at what the family refuses to free themselves from. The space easily evokes a feeling of isolation. For Willow and Imogen, it's a cage.

Noah and Imogen's relationship pushes and pulls. Rather than part, they cling to each other, nurturing and feeding on the resentment that is festering between them. The writing and massaging of tension make it clear through Willow's eyes that her trust in her parents, particularly in her mother, is waning. Instead, fear and chaos grow within the young girl. All of this emotion and tension boil over, culminating in a climactic and heartbreaking ending.

The usage of the physical werewolf is minimal, which may disappoint some werewolf fans. Harington makes the most of his physicality onscreen, painting the picture of a man with a monster rumbling beneath his skin. He is in command, or at least that's what his Noah aims for. By the time the werewolf appears onscreen, enough character work has been done to sell the illusion. The danger is real.

While it can be argued that any creature could be put in place of the werewolf in THE BEAST WITHIN, the usage of the werewolf fits. Noah's moods are cyclic and contingent on external factors, much like the werewolf's relationship to the moon. While the line deliveries from Harington don't always land, Noah is a man enslaved by his insecurities and weakness. These external factors in metaphor come to influence each generation, leaving victims in their wake, beaten and/or ripped to shreds.

At its core, THE BEAST WITHIN dissects the constantly evolving dynamics of an abusive household, the breakdown of the family unit, and the slow-growing fear of perhaps being just like the family members who raised us. It's not an easy watch. For those who need them, domestic abuse is heavily featured. But the simplistic fairytale-like structure and Willow's perspective soften the edge.

Werewolf or not, unless the cycle is broken, we're doomed to keep repeating it.

THE BEAST WITHIN had its world premiere at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival. It will be released in theaters on Friday, July 26, 2024.