Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Baltasar Kormákur, ‘Beast‘ follows Dr. Nate Samuels on his journey to reconnect with his two daughters after the tragic death of his wife. To do that, the trio sets out for the Mopani Reserve in South Africa, unaware of the dangers waiting to be unleashed. Unbeknownst to them, a lion in the reserve has gone rogue after the killing of its entire pride, and is determined to hunt down every human in its line of sight, poacher or not. As Nate and his family come face to face with this bloodlusted wild cat, their vacation quickly turns into a near-hopeless bid for survival. In charting this journey, the survival action horror movie situates itself within a grounded exploration of human-wildlife conflict.
Beast is a Fictional Story Informed by a Deep Dive Into the World of African Wild Lions
‘Beast’ is a work of fiction penned by Jaime Primak Sullivan and Ryan Engle, with Baltasar Kormákur taking charge of the direction. Given that the story is set largely in the African savannahs, Kormákur was particularly drawn to the idea of filming on-site and interacting with real, natural elements. In a conversation with Outtake Magazine, he revealed that traveling to Africa had been his dream since childhood. As such, when he told his parents about the movie, his mother returned with a clipping book full of lion cut-outs that he had made as a child.
“I’d already done my research when I was six years old,” Kormákur joked about the cuttings, before clarifying that his directorial venture required a lot of fresh and in-depth research, all of which was a joy. He studied the lions’ behavioral patterns, how they move, and especially how they attack, to ensure the movie feels as real as possible. The decision to film in real African grasslands was also in that vein, as he found it essential to set a baseline, where additional elements don’t “stick out like a sore thumb.”
A Famous Real-Life Lion Inspires the Look of the Film’s Rogue Big Cat
A similar effort went into the conceptualization of the characters, which included picking a real-life reference for the film’s rogue lion. As far as the visuals go, the creators chose Scarface, one of the most famous lions in history, who lived in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve from 2007 to 2021. However, the larger plot surrounding the rogue lion is invented specifically for the movie, with no direct connections to Scarface or any other big cat. The director also noted that he, as well as actor Idris Elba, is a father in real life, which helped them approach the protagonist, Nate Samuels, with a higher sensitivity.
While crafting the human-animal dynamic between characters like Nate and the rogue lion, Kormákur and his team found themselves asking some bigger, existential questions. During the interview, the director opined, “We (humans) are very animalistic. Yes, we use culture to try and control those instincts, but I think these films draw us back to that.” On the subject of filmic inspiration, he opened up about how classics like ‘Come and See,’ as well as ‘Children of Men,’ served as an influence when it came to his visceral filming style.
Beast Captures the Haunting Reality of Wildlife Poaching in Africa
Though the plot of ‘Beast’ doesn’t draw from any one real-life incident, many of the ideas introduced are loosely rooted in reality. This is especially true when it comes to animal poaching, as reports show that lion poaching incidents in Africa have been steadily on the rise. A study published in Conservation Letters found that lions are increasingly being baited with poisoned caracasses, which can kill multiple individuals in one go. Seizure efforts by anti-poaching units recovered as many as 17 lion skulls in the Lusaka region of Zambia in 2021. In 2023, about 660 pounds, or 300 kilograms, of lion body parts were seized in Mozambique’s Maputo region.
Endangered Wildlife Trust reported that Mozambique has witnessed as many as 426 human-related lion deaths between 2010 and 2023, with the numbers growing at an alarming rate every year. Through its invented story, the movie sheds light on both the rise of poaching in African savannahs and the extensive anti-poaching measures that are being undertaken to protect wildlife species. To that end, it is possible that the writers also drew reference from real-life stories of lions attacking poachers.
In 2018 alone, two such cases made headlines, beginning in February, when lions reportedly killed an alleged poacher near Kruger National Park. In a separate incident that took place in July, human remains were found inside a lion enclosure of a private reserve in South Africa. Given the discovery of a high-powered rifle, an axe, and wire cutters next to the remains, it has been alleged that they were rhino poachers. While these isolated incidents are loosely reminiscent of how the plot in ‘Beast’ unfolds, it is more likely that the writers created the rogue lion storyline from scratch, using the broader reality of animal poaching as a reference point.
You must be logged in to post a comment.