The Beast

"The Beast," a riff on a 1903 Henry James novella that has flashes of remarkable atmosphere but has trouble congealing into a cohesive whole.

[Bonello] comes nowhere near achieving anything as insightful in two and a half hours that James manages in 30 pages.

A multi-genre/multi-century sci-fi philosophical whatchamacallit that wears out its welcome two-thirds of the way into a nearly two-and-a-half hour running time.

Even when it's not entirely clear where or when we are, Bonello's filmmaking is so hypnotic, and Seydoux's performance so subtly mesmerizing, that you can't help getting caught up in the flow.

Classical and ultramodern, The Beast is an experience both bold and rich.

It's very slow and convoluted.

Bonello’s film is slow, it purposefully simmers, and as it does the cinematography masterfully utilizes repetition...The Beast isn’t just smart, it’s deftly crafted and lingers long after the credits end.

The universal themes of love and loneliness, coupled with Seydoux’s terrific performance make Bertrand Bonello's latest film a knockout. The visionary filmmaker fills you with intrigue and leaves you enthralled.

Bonello’s genre-bending dystopian drama is not for everyone, it can be an endurance test for some but Léa Seydoux's magnetic performance keeps it engaging.

Seydoux and McKay are directed for deliberately slow, methodical interaction. Bonello depicts past, present and future showcasing Seydoux’s versatility playing characters through different eras in a haunting, complicated, frightening history of romance.