Beast

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Beast follows Idris Elba’s Nate Samuels as he and his two daughters (Iyana Halley’s Meredith and Leah Sava Jeffries’ Norah) find themselves pursued by a vicious lion during a South African vacation. Filmmaker Kormákur, armed with Ryan Engle’s screenplay, delivers a hit-and-miss thriller that ultimately fares best in its compelling and periodically enthralling first half, as the picture’s been suffused with an assortment of agreeable attributes, including Elba’s commanding performance and visuals that are refreshingly non-gritty, that heighten its pervasively watchable atmosphere. (It doesn’t hurt, either, that the first major lion-attack sequence packs an exciting, visceral punch.) It’s disappointing to note, then, that Beast eventually progresses into a comparatively lackluster second half devoid of standout sequences or set-pieces, with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by a wheel-spinning narrative that focuses on the tiresome, been-there-done-that fractured relationship between Nate and his oldest daughter. (The absence of an expected interlude detailing the brutal dismemberment of the villainous poachers does little to allay the mediocre vibe, to be sure.) By the time the relatively exciting and satisfying climax rolls around, Beast has confirmed its place as a decent-enough endeavor that generally feels as though it should be much, much better.

**1/2 out of ****