Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lots of blood, violence in aimless "driving" movie.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Where to Watch
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The Beast
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE BEAST, an unidentified group of terrorists has launched an all-out attack. Secret Service Agent Taft (Joel Kinnaman) has managed to save the president after fighting a masked intruder in the Commander in Chief's armored car (which is known as The Beast). But now Taft has bleeding bullet wounds, so it's up to President Palladin (Samuel L. Jackson) to drive. Speaking to a dispatcher, the two men try to make their way to a safe destination, but the terrorists are everywhere, appearing in massive numbers and attacking with hidden explosives. Taft and the president must work together to get through the carnage—not only to survive, but also so that the president can get back to his beloved wife.
Is It Any Good?
This action movie starts out strong, dropping viewers right in the middle of the chaos, but it doesn't have much of a story after that; it moves in fits and starts and wears out its welcome. The Beast reunites director Renny Harlin and star Samuel L. Jackson, who previously collaborated on fan favorites The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea (as well as a largely forgotten 2007 movie called Cleaner), with mixed results. Jackson probably jumped at the chance to play a U.S. president, and what a cool one Palladin is! (He's even able to dig the bullets out of Taft's wounds and suture them.)
The movie begins with a text crawl, and then, boom! We're in the thick of battle, with the camera swooping around looking left and right, trying to make sense of it all. From there, almost all of the action happens from inside the car, the camera often swirling around in a full circle to capture events happening outside the bulletproof windows. The movie stays interesting as Taft and Palladin exchange getting-to-know-you dialogue and Jackson gets a few chances to explode and curse out the clueless dispatcher who can't provide any useful information. But eventually it becomes clear that The Beast doesn't really have a destination or a story arc, and nothing that happens in it really matters. It's just a short trip to nowhere, with a little scenery to pass the time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Beast's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do the characters demonstrate courage and perseverance? How so? Do you consider them role models?
Does the movie glamorize drinking? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
What's the appeal of watching fictional U.S. presidents in movies? Can they teach us anything about real life?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 9, 2026
- Cast : Samuel L. Jackson , Joel Kinnaman , Guy Burnet
- Director : Renny Harlin
- Studio : Aura Entertainment
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Dystopia , Transportation ( Cars & Trucks )
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, some gore, and language
- Last updated : November 3, 2026
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