A person’s home is said to be their castle. The four walls within which people dwell are supposed to be a sanctuary from the wider world, but whilst the homestead can be a place of peace and contentment, there is little control over who lives next to us. Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts explores a scenario where neighbours at war turn deadly. Everybody has heard or experienced a nightmare neighbour such as the type of people who make excessive noise at unsociable hours or refuse to put their bins out for collection. The neighbours presented in The Beasts however, are far more toxic than that.
French couple Antoine (Denis Ménochet) and Olga (Marina Foïs) have retired from their city lives. Their new dream is to run a farm in rural Spain, growing fruit and vegetables; truly getting back to nature and enjoying a slower pace of life. Although having lived and worked on their property for a few years, the pair are at odds with much of the community around them. After a company tried to convert their farm, and those surrounding it, into wind farms, Olga and Antoine found themselves on the wrong side of the vote. Whilst others in the area were content to sell up and get a decent chunk of money, Antoine refused and convinced enough of the others to say no, to stall the vote. During the intervening time the atmosphere has become extremely hostile, but Antoine and Olga are steadfast in their resolve to remain.
Though the scenario demonstrated in The Beasts is less common, it is easy for the viewer to empathise with Antoine and Olga. The pair are merely trying to live their life, but are constantly under attack from those around them. That Antoine and Olga are French only serves to exacerbate the issue, their neighbours taking extreme offence to the French having a say over Spanish land. Early exchanges are fraught with malice; the Spanish townsfolk constantly make derogatory remarks of Antoine. These comments are soaked in threat with the entire first half of The Beasts is steeped in dread. Sorogoyen works the tension well, exemplified best during, of all things, a game of dominoes. Antoine and the ‘leader’ of his enemies, Xan (Luis Zahera), converse during their play and despite its mask of civility, it is clear that Xan has ill intentions for Antoine.
Afraid for his life and that of his wife, Antoine turns to the police for help. Knowing the history between the houses, the police are not too helpful, leading Antoine to resort to desperate measures. Determined to document everything and build a case, Antoine begins filming all interactions with his neighbours, which only riles them up more. As the veiled threat becomes real, The Beasts reaches a mid-point crescendo, and then resets itself. Although the first half of The Beasts sticks closely to Antoine, Olga steps into focus for the second half. The shift in focus brings with it a shift in tone. The oppressive sensation of dread is replaced with a quiet melancholy. Olga is as determined as Antoine to prove her neighbours guilt, but goes about it more calmly and less aggressively. Her attempts are met with trepidation from Xan and the tables turn ever so slightly.
At close to two and a half hours, Sorogoyen takes time to set up the story, situations, and relationships. He is happy to let the narrative unfold slowly, quietly positioning all the pieces into place. For some films, taking such time can cause viewer fatigue, but with The Beasts, Sorogoyen keeps the viewer hooked. The constant threat of bloodshed helps smooth over the slower moments and allows the audience to build a report with Antione and Olga. This connection is paramount to the success of the film as The Beasts only works if the viewer is invested in their relationship.
Fear is intrinsic to The Beasts. Even the change of lead and subtle tone shift cannot shake loose the intense feeling of ill-will. Thanks to Sorogoyen and his team’s hard work, the Beasts is uncomfortable to watch from start to finish. For the first half of the film the audience, like Antoine, is in a constant state of unease as they don’t know what Xan and co are capable of. Behind every corner, and within each encounter, violence is teased. As the story transitions from Antoine to Olga, the viewer is further unsettled as they now know exactly what Xan is capable of. This new knowledge leads to even greater fear for the lead characters involved and demonstrates a strong acumen for tension from Sorogoyen. Though far more of a thriller, The Beasts points to a strong career within the horror genre should the director ever choose to venture down a different route.
The Beasts
Summary
Although slowly constructed and long in run-time, The Beasts never loses its intensity, making it an uncomfortable, but riveting tale of nightmare neighbours.
The Beasts was reviewed at Glasgow Film Festival 2023.
