Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Atmospheric, violent werewolf horror is light on scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Beast Within
What's the Story?
In THE BEAST WITHIN, 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall) lives on a remote English farm with her mother, Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings); her father, Noah (Kit Harington); and her grandfather, Waylon (James Cosmo). Willow has a respiratory condition that requires her to breathe with an oxygen tank from time to time. Every so often, her mother loads her father up in the truck and takes him away for a while; when they return, he's covered in blood. Willow's questions go unanswered, so one day she follows her parents and sees a ghastly transformation that will change her life forever.
Is It Any Good?
It's certainly possible to pull off a fresh take on the werewolf formula, but this movie doesn't quite make it; it's atmospheric, to be sure but also slow-paced and lacking in surprises or scares. The Beast Within more or less adopts the point of view of 10-year-old Willow, but watching from an adult perspective, it's pretty easy to see what the other characters are trying to hide from her. And Imogen's naiveté ("she'll never find out") is ridiculous. The werewolf stuff is kept to a bare minimum, and what little there is is a little too dark to see well. Instead, the time is used to focus on the characters, but they seem rather half-formed, especially since everyone is keeping secrets. When Imogen and Willow drive into town, they stop so that Imogen can pull out a hidden dress and put it on before they get there; the purpose of this dress (presumably to make her feel pretty?) never comes to fruition, since they're never seen interacting with anyone else.
The movie's real discussion point comes at the very, very end as the filmmakers reveal their actual theme. It seems like it's meant to be a shock, but instead it feels more like too little, too late. The house where the family lives is ominously decorated, and Willow's matchstick village is quite wonderful; there's a strong use of soundtrack, especially the nail-biting squeal of panicking pigs. But unfortunately The Beast Within doesn't really add up to much in the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Beast Within'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?
How does the movie address the subject of domestic violence? What message does it have for viewers?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes enjoy being scared?
Characters in this story tend to keep secrets from one another. Are secrets a good thing? Bad? When are secrets useful, and when are they harmful?
How does the movie use Willow's matchstick buildings to help tell the story?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 26, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : August 13, 2024
- Cast : Kit Harington , Ashleigh Cummings , Caoilinn Springall
- Director : Alexander J. Farrell
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Well Go USA Entertainment
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some violent content and language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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