The Beast
Across shifting eras and unstable realities, a woman and her elusive lover confront an AI-shaped future that promises freedom from pain by erasing the self.
Overview
In a world where emotions are seen as a threat, love fights to survive against the odds.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Labyrinthine
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- eerie
- melancholic
- arthouse film night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bertrand Bonello's ambitious science fiction romance as formally daring, emotionally resonant, and visually accomplished, despite its considerable length and unconventional structure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gabrielle undergoes a process intended to cleanse trauma and remove emotional rough edges in an AI-controlled society.
Gabrielle and Louis encounter one another through multiple periods and configurations of attraction, fear, and separation.
The story moves between periods through Gabrielle's consciousness, trauma, and encounters with a medium rather than through a straightforward chronology.
The premise places artificial intelligence in control of everyone's lives and frames human emotions as threatening.
Films like The Beast, and why
Her
philosophical science fiction, fractured realities, and anxiety about technology reshaping human identity
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
ambiguous romance, dystopian unease, and emotionally disorienting speculative storytelling
Cloud Atlas
stylized time-spanning romance, fatalism, and formally ambitious science fiction drama
Mulholland Drive
surreal psychological atmosphere, unstable perception, and romantic obsession
Movie Details
- Director
- Bertrand Bonello
- Release Date
- 2024-02-07
- Runtime
- 146 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (285)
Cast
- Léa Seydoux
- George MacKay
- Guslagie Malanda
- Dasha Nekrasova
- Martin Scali
- Elina Löwensohn
- Marta Hoskins
- Julia Faure
- Kester Lovelace
- Félicien Pinot
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Beast about?
- Across shifting eras and unstable realities, a woman and her elusive lover confront an AI-shaped future that promises freedom from pain by erasing the self.
- What is The Beast like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Beast as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as labyrinthine.
- Is The Beast violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Beast as mild.
- What did critics think of The Beast?
- Critics broadly regard Bertrand Bonello's ambitious science fiction romance as formally daring, emotionally resonant, and visually accomplished, despite its considerable length and unconventional structure.
- Which films are like The Beast?
- Films with a similar feel include Her, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Cloud Atlas, and Mulholland Drive.
- How long is The Beast?
- The Beast runs 146 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Beast?
- In United States, The Beast is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
