THE BEAST
Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic following Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) as she relives romances from her past lives to learn from their mistakes.
SHOWTIMES
APR 26 | FRI
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
APR 27 | SAT
11:00 a.m., 1:55, 4:50, 7:45 p.m.
APR 28 | SUN
11:00 a.m., 1:55, 4:50, 7:45 p.m.
APR 29 | MON
4:50 p.m. (7:45 P.M. SCREENING CANCELLED)
APR 30 | TUE
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 1 | WED
4:50 p.m.
MAY 2 | THU
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 3 | FRI
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 4 | SAT
1:55, 4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 5 | SUN
1:55, 4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 6 | MON
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 7 | TUE
4:50, 7:45 p.m.
MAY 8 | WED
4:50 p.m.
MAY 9 | THU
4:50 p.m.
SYNOPSIS
The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely “erase” their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent “retribution.” Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates?
Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James’ turn-of-the-century novella, The Beast in the Jungle, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, The Beast poignantly conveys humanity’s struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence.
Director
WITH
Run Time
2 hours, 26 minutes
Released
Distributed by
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Country
France / Canada
SUBTITLES
None
NOT RATED
Many of the films shown at The Ross are not rated due to the prohibitive cost of acquiring a rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. Consequently, as many of these films contain graphic content, viewer discretion is advised.
REVIEWS
“A movie with impeccable execution and an abundance of ideas to explore after it’s over.”
“Bonello uses these encounters to pose questions about love, desire, and more terrifying masculine urges, depicting moments of pure tenderness and tense, unsettling threat.”
“The Beast traverses timelines to show us that the fear of love — how the highs that come with it can pervert into the lowest lows — is just as devastating as not loving at all.”