BEAST. Elba vs “The Ghost and the Darkness”

Idris Elba here. Idris Elba there. There’s no denying that the British actor has been in high demand in recent years; this is certainly one of the most productive periods of his career. The media have already pegged him as the next Bond, but he preferred to star in westerns, step into Will Smith’s shoes in the new Suicide Squad, partner with Tilda Swinton in the spectacle Three Thousand Years of Longing, and… head to the African savannah. It is based on the latter adventure that the film with the very suggestive title Beast was created.

Do you remember the somewhat dusty film The Ghost and the Darkness with Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas? It’s a bright spot on my 1990s cinema memory map; I remember it fondly. The film was set in Africa and told the story of hunters confronting two lions whose attacks hinder the construction of a bridge. The starting point of Beast is similar, but it has a much more family-friendly character. A single father takes a trip to Africa with his daughters. Idris Elba’s character sees the journey as a way to rebuild the bond with his growing children. There’s only one problem – the circumstances are highly unsettling. The wilderness is merciless and intends to engulf the characters in its depths.

The film is an American production, but the director is Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, who became known for 101 Reykjavík. Its success caught the attention of Hollywood decision-makers, leading Kormákur to later direct Contraband, 2 Guns, and Everest. Although his experience with action cinema proved useful in creating Beast—there are several breathtaking scenes where lions, exceptionally well designed with CGI, attack humans—the film places a clear emphasis on the dramatic sphere. The trap situation in which the protagonist and his children find themselves serves as an opportunity to revisit a tragic past in which the family gets stuck in their thoughts. Nature and its wild ruthlessness once again help to put life’s values in their proper place.

Let’s not mince words: if words were lions, we are dealing with a film that is exceptionally formulaic. It’s very easy to find your way in this adventure and quickly grasp its rules. The tension is built exactly as the masters dictate. In the first scene, there’s an earthquake, followed by a slight relaxation in the next scenes meant solely to lull our vigilance. You already know the rest of the plot. The action unfolds like Jaws, or perhaps better: Jurassic Park, because the jeep in which the characters hide evokes such an analogy. The only flaw I see in Beast is… the demonization of lions, convincing us that these animals can attack humans without reason or out of revenge.

We didn’t know the reasons for the shark attacks in Jaws either, yet we were captivated. In general, it should be interpreted symbolically—as another lesson in humility delivered to humans by the forces of nature. It turns out that, removed from the conveniences of technology and at the mercy of nature, we are as defenseless as children. Yet even they can possess what we call resilience. Beast thus tells the story of an attempt to find this primal strength buried beneath the safe layer of a culture that lulls us into complacency.

Many will probably view Beast as a rerun of the “animal attack” genre—and they wouldn’t be wrong. It’s a film that, aside from its exceptionally realistic-looking lions, doesn’t bring anything new to cinema. But in such cases, actors make the difference. It’s a shame that Sharlto Copley, appearing in a supporting role, is so scarce on screen. On the other hand, I understand why Idris Elba is everywhere lately. Even a typical role, built from well-worn archetypes, takes on a distinctive touch in his performance. The lion attack scenes—yes—they remain spectacular, but the one that will probably stay with me longer is the scene in which the actor drinks and begins recalling painful experiences. I shivered.

So what kind of Beast is it? The kind you expect from the trailer: predictable and formulaic. Yet it is also very solidly shot and well-acted. Despite the on-screen dangers, it is exceptionally safe cinema, leading to the only right conclusions. The first beast that each of us must tame is the one within ourselves.