Spooky Kit Harington Horror Offers A New Perspective On Werewolf Lore

The Beast Within follows 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall), who lives deep in the English countryside with her parents. For his debut film, Alexander J. Farrell, who co-wrote the script with Greer Taylor Ellison, takes an impressive first step in this new foray with a production rich with gothic references. It’s perfect for a tale about lycanthropy. He and cinematographer Daniel Katz do wonders to capture the foreboding, beautiful, and sweeping English landscape, with cool tones drawing out the dark and creepy energy from the story told.

After a series of odd behaviors from her family, she follows them out one day and stumbles upon a dark secret that will change everything. If the marketing and the film’s poster don’t make it clear, this is a werewolf story, but through the eyes of a young girl. From this perspective, we get a story that uses the famous hairy creature as an allegory of the beast within our families as it follows Willow’s family history of abuse and trauma.

The Beast Within Is An Impressive Coming-Of-Age Story

But it also can’t maintain its tension or suspense

Willow spends her days tied to an oxygen tank, reading and spending time with her mother and grandfather. Her father (Kit Harington), while loving, is somewhat distant, disappearing for days every month with the help of her mother, who is always on edge. Her mother and grandfather bicker about the truth of the situation, but as a girl relegated to being indoors and having to entertain herself with her imagination, Willow has sharpened her observational skills and seeks the truth. The truth is a terrible reality that, while very fantastical, harkens to real-world issues about fragile families and dangerous fathers.

Where The Beast Within stumbles is the writing. As a coming-of-age story, it’s impressive. The theme is obvious, if a little muddled, but it’s easy to ascertain what Farrell is attempting to accomplish. It’s when things take a turn that the director loses grip on the narrative, and the delicate layers come crashing down.

This is a horror, but it’s too understated due to the weight of the family drama. As well shot as this picture is, the story is neglected in many ways. Tension is quickly lost, the suspense is hardly maintained, and the scares are few and far between. Additionally, the characters need more to make them feel distinguished, though the actors do more than enough in their performances to ground them and give them dimension.

The Beast Within Looks & Feels Spooky

Despite narrative flaws, the look and feel of the film are perfect for a spooky night in. The cinematography really adds to the film’s sense of eeriness. This story isn’t the flashiest werewolf tale, but it is worth seeing thanks to a fresh perspective. As flawed as the story may be, the story from a child’s eyes offers a new and unique entry point for the subgenre.

The Beast Within may be a decent entry-level film for budding fans of the horror genre. The sense of losing sight of who your parents are and losing trust in the safety of your home and family is a weighted layer of the story. But it’s what surrounds this core narrative that doesn’t fully land.

The Beast Within is in theaters July 26. The film is 97 minutes long and is rated R for some violent content and language.

After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the heart of the forest.

Pros

• A strong cast carrying an emotional werewolf story
• Telling the story from a child’s point of view adds to the subgenre

Cons

• While the premise is interesting, the execution left a lot to be desired