This British film set on the island of Jersey is a stunning feature debut by Michael Pearce. Jessie Buckley plays Moll, a young woman with a history of antisocial behavior. Her wealthy family is protective but judgmental. Molly ditches her own birthday party to go drinking, and when a drunken lout tries assaulting her, Pascal (Johnny Flynn) intervenes. Pascal has ancient family ties to the island and a strange charisma, and also happens to be a suspect in a string of unsolved rapes and murders. When the two begin an intense affair, finding comfort in their mutual outsider status, Moll’s controlling family protests. The lovers soon find their passion is a catalyst that begins to unlock dark secrets from the past. Erotic, dreamy, and unsettling, Beast is a compelling portrayal of obsessive love, set in a wild, remote land that feels laden with myth and mystery. Buckley is a gifted actress, and her performance is one of the best of the year, haunting in its naked intensity.
Peg Aloi Says Don’t Forget: Beast
