Some action movies take their time getting to the good stuff. The Beast isn’t one of them. From the opening scene, the film throws you directly into the action, immediately setting the tone for what is to come. You’re in it almost immediately, and for me, that worked.
Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman, The Beast takes the familiar presidential action thriller and approaches it from a different perspective. We’ve seen the President in danger before. We’ve seen attacks on the White House, presidential kidnappings and threats against the government. But The Beast doesn’t feel like another version of Olympus Has Fallen.
Instead, the film puts much of its focus on the President himself and the highly fortified vehicle that becomes his primary means of survival. What could have easily been another predictable entry in the genre, instead feels fresh enough to keep you wondering where the story is going.
Jackson’s performance is another reminder that his chops were never really in question to begin with. He brings the presence, confidence and intensity you’d expect from him, but there is also something particularly entertaining about watching him step into this role.
One of my favorite moments comes when the President has to rely on his military training to take on the people coming after him. It’s a particularly effective sequence because of the circumstances surrounding it. Without any weapons and in the dark, he doesn’t have the luxury of simply calling in a team to handle the situation. He has to rely on his training and what is available to him.
Joel Kinnaman also plays his part well as the security detail, providing a strong counterpart to Jackson throughout the film. The two help keep the story moving without taking away from what makes the premise interesting in the first place.
What I appreciated most about The Beast is that I never found myself checking the time. I was locked in from beginning to end. The story and the consistent action kept me invested.
For fans of Samuel L. Jackson, action thrillers or movies that don’t make you wait half the runtime for things to get interesting, The Beast is worth checking out.
In theaters 10.9.26
Rated R
