Be careful what you unleash
Moll, a young redheaded woman, puts on a yellow sundress and stares at herself in the mirror. Downstairs, guests gather for her birthday party. Moll’s shoulders hunch inwards, her arms are tense. It is as though her body revolts against taking up space, being visible. She stands on the sidelines of her own party like a wraith, sadness seeping out in moments when she thinks no one is looking. In an early voiceover, she states she has always been obsessed with killer whales, those huge creatures who are “always smiling.” It’s hard to associate this obsession with such a frail-looking put-upon young woman. By the end of “Beast,” Michael Pearce’s remarkable first feature, we more than understand.
”Aided by Benjamin Kracun’s sensual cinematography, Michael Pearce has created a feverish fairy tale riven with dark horrors and forbidden desires in Beast.” – The NY Times
”A strong debut from director Michael Pearce, with a gripping performance by newcomer Jessie Buckley. So much more than just another serial-killer movie.” –Â Empire
”The title of this moody feature debut by writer-director Michael Pearce is meant to highlight Pascal?s unsavory past, as well as to interrogate our assumptions about the working class.” – Washinton Post
