Beast (2022), directed by Baltasar Kormákur, is a tense, stripped-down survival thriller that pits man against nature—specifically, a relentless and territorial lion. But beyond the roar and the chase, it’s also a story about guilt, redemption, and what it means to protect the people you love.
Idris Elba stars as Dr. Nate Samuels, a recently widowed father who brings his two teenage daughters to South Africa—the homeland of their late mother—in an attempt to reconnect. Their quiet trip quickly turns into a nightmare when they find themselves hunted by a lone, monstrous lion that has turned on humans after its pride was slaughtered by poachers.
Cut off from help and deep in the bush, Nate must rely on his instincts, courage, and a desperate will to survive. What follows is a brutal, breathless fight for life. With each encounter, the stakes rise and the safety of his daughters slips further away. Elba brings raw intensity to the role, not as an action hero, but as a terrified father forced to confront the wild—both outside and within.
Beast excels in its simplicity: wide-open landscapes, close-quarters terror, and a silent, stalking predator that never lets up. The lion is more than just a threat—it’s a symbol of nature’s rage, and of a man’s internal struggle with loss and failure.
The film doesn’t overcomplicate. It doesn’t need to.
Because when you're being hunted,
There’s no time for hesitation—
Only survival.
