This article was written by Lauren Weiner.
Beast, directed by Tyler Atkins, follows the story of Patton (Daniel MacPherson), an MMA fighter who put the octagon behind him after knocking out his opponent, Xavier Grau (Bren Foster). A decade later—and after a lengthy prison sentence—the older and more hardened legend works as a commercial fisherman, barely making enough to provide for his wife and daughter. When his younger brother XXX is injured before a match with Xavier, Patton must step up and fight his nemesis once again.
Beast isn’t too different from the typical sports-driven narratives with a brothers-at-odds thing thrown in and a mildly cheesy lovers' spat. The former is incremental to the plot and adds a nice touch to the genre’s tried-and-true story progression.
The latter, on the other hand, feels Hallmark-esque. Patton’s wife, Luciana (Kelly Gale), is nothing more than a Mary Sue, unremarkable in every way; meanwhile, his relationship with his daughter is too syrupy, leaving both dynamics lacking true depth. These moments mess with the pacing and cut into time that would have been better spent throwing punches.
Relatedly, the acting is fine—just fine. Some of the cast are better than others, notably MacPherson as Patton. Russell Crowe isn’t too bad either, but his screen time only runs 15 or so minutes. For those less remarkable, it’s hard to tell whether it’s their chops or the mediocre script to blame, which Oscar-winner Crowe is credited for co-writing with David Frigerio.
These flaws are forgivable, though, as the real sustenance of Beast lies in the fight coordination. For said scenes, the shots aren’t too snug; rather, they have enough breathing room to see the details of every single attack. It’s fast and thrilling, but not so fast that the movements can be missed. There are also some gnarly moments that flit by, deserving of a genuine grimace. Really eye-catching is how the final fight scene is filmed. Director Tyler Atkins mixes and matches cinematic takes with clips stylized like traditional MMA TV footage, which makes for an intensely unique fight sequence.
The superb cinematography doesn’t just take flight during the action-packed segments, either. Throughout the movie, there’s plenty of dynamic movement, which helps hold the audience’s attention for more conversational or emotional scenes. Especially noticeable is the constant shift of focus from one subject to another. That takes some great skill, and Beast pulls it off well.
The outdoor locations are breathtaking. When Patton’s outside, he’s usually on some ambiguous rocky terrain; pale blue skies and deep, dark water surround him, which emphasizes the movie’s gritty and intense nature. And the color grading is vibrant too, particularly during the fight scenes where the blood is a rich red, and the lighting is vivid and multi-colored. Tangentially connected: the movie manages to really nail the aesthetic of MMA and the look of its fighters.
At the end of the day, even if it’s only a lukewarm movie, Beast accomplishes what it wants to. It’s no classic like Rocky nor modern innovation like F1, but it’s a digestible, feel-good film with familiar, morale-boosting messages.
The film is now in theaters.
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