Idris Elba's 2022 Survival Thriller On Netflix Flew Under Everyone's Radar

One of the joys of being a genre movie fan is keeping an eye out for theatrically released films that aren't part of a series or an existing IP, but instead strive to reach audiences with nothing more than good old-fashioned high concepts. The summer of 2022 was a particularly good time for such movies. In August of that year alone, "Bullet Train," "Fall," and "The Invitation" were three releases by major studios that were driven as much by their central premises as by their stars. Also released in August of 2022 was a film that, while flying under almost everyone's radar, still holds up as a crackerjack summer thriller: "Beast," starring Idris Elba.

To be fair, the most notable name involved with "Beast" was Elba's, despite co-stars Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Sharlto Copley being familiar to those in the know. Director Baltasar Kormákur has never become a household name nor a cinephile favorite. Yet the filmmaker has made a career out of solid genre movies known mostly to genre fans, titles like "Contraband," "2 Guns," and "Everest."

In fact, his next feature, "Apex," is already garnering a little social media clout from the jacked appearance of star Taron Egerton. That film is going directly to Netflix, which is a bit of a bummer, since it was a joy to watch "Beast" in theaters with an audience. Still, the Netflix connection is why "Beast" is now available on the streaming service, and hopefully, its availability there will help people discover why Kormákur is one of our most reliably entertaining genre directors today.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of "Beast" is how no-nonsense and no-frills it is. Where so many action thrillers and horror films feel the need to pile on twists, reversals, and other additional elements, "Beast" sets up its premise quickly and then lets the drama unfold very matter-of-factly. The film follows Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), a widower who finds himself raising his semi-estranged daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries). As part of helping himself and his girls heal from the recent loss of their mother, he decides to take them to the South African village where she grew up, which is near a wild animal preserve. Unfortunately, a rogue lion (driven mad by illegal poachers) shows up and attacks Nate and his family, forcing them to try to survive long enough for help to arrive.

That's the majority of "Beast" in a nutshell, which should indicate how much of the movie is experiential more than plot-heavy. It's a perfect delivery system for some harrowing set pieces of animal attacks, and Baltasar Kormákur makes sure to deliver the goods. Elba makes for a great leading man in this type of film; strong and resilient enough to plausibly stand a chance against the rogue lion, but vulnerable enough to keep the tension high. Kormákur's work here recalls the likes of Jaume Collet-Serra ("The Shallows") and Johannes Roberts (this January's "Primate"), blending a knack for choreography and pacing with kinetic visual effects. 

"Beast" is the type of movie that's perfect for a date night, a get-together, or a late-night flick; not super challenging intellectually, but engaging and well-made enough to get the blood pumping. If you're a fan of films like "The Ghost and the Darkness," "Crawl," or even "Roar," it's time to get acquainted with "Beast."