The BEAST WITHIN
Alexander J. Farrell
(2024)
On a full moon night, a grandmother (Martina McClements) ventures alone into the woods searching for her husband Williams (Ian Giles). When she hears a strange noise, she assumes it’s him and follows the sound. Suddenly, she encounters something — or someone — that terrifies her.
The film never reveals what she sees; we only hear what seems to be animal growling. The grandmother meets a violent end, her face covered in blood as a black, dog-like creature licks her face. As the camera pans out, we see her arm bearing multiple wounds that resemble claw marks.
In a secluded, fortified mansion, young Willow (Caoilinn Springall) lives with her mother Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings), father Noah (Kit Harington), and Imogen’s father Waylon (James Cosmo).
Despite her illness, she grows increasingly curious about her parents’ mysterious trips — occasions when Imogen takes Noah away for hours, only to return home alone while Noah comes back the following day, covered in blood. Before each departure, Willow notices her grandfather Waylon helping Imogen load a live pig into their jeep.
She sometimes overhears heated arguments between her parents about a truth they are keeping from her. When her parents are away, WaylonW keeps a watchful eye on Willow, making sure she does not wander too far and returns to the mansion before nightfall.
Willow begins experiencing nightmares in which she sees her father Noah transform into a monster. When she confronts Imogen about the secrets being kept from her, her mother ignores the question and tries to change the subject. As Willow persists, Imogen becomes agitated and deflects by telling her to go feed the pig instead.
One day, Imogen takes Willow on a trip to a nearby town. During a brief stop, Imogen changes her dress, unaware that Willow can see her reflection in the side mirror. Willow becomes distressed when she notices multiple bruises covering her mother’s body, suggesting that Noah has been hurting Imogen.
While Imogen is preparing the pig for their trip, Willow secretly slips into the back of the jeep. She follows her parents on foot through the woods until they reach a ruined fortress. There, she watches as Imogen places an iron collar and chain around Noah’s neck.
After Imogen locks the gate and leaves, Willow sneaks inside. Imogen spots her and desperately tries to stop her from going further, but Willow’s curiosity overwhelms her — she is determined to uncover the truth. On this full moon night, Willow witnesses something so terrifying that she faints from shock.
Directed by British filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell and co-written with Greer Taylor Ellison, THE BEAST WITHIN is a horror-drama centered on an apparently cursed family, following an ailing girl who believes her father is a werewolf.
The film presents an intriguing premise — a fresh take on the werewolf trope seen through a young girl’s eyes, blurring the line between horrific reality and her wild imagination. Initially, the film leads viewers to believe that Noah (solidly portrayed by Kit Harington) is a werewolf, with the filmmaker deliberately concealing whether this is true.
However, the narrative relies too heavily on building tension and mystery through fragmented flashbacks that feel more like filler than meaningful material exploring character backstories or family dynamics. The story progresses at an excruciatingly slow pace and becomes repetitive, with no major twists to justify its length.
When Imogen’s bruised body is revealed, I realizes that perhaps there is no werewolf at all, just domestic violence filtered through Willow’s imagination. Yet this theory doesn’t explain everything — why does Noah return home covered in blood? Why does he share stories about his grandfather being a werewolf, specifically mentioning transformations during full moons? The plot ultimately becomes too convoluted, failing to succeed either as memorable horror or compelling family drama.
The most puzzling aspect is the finale, where Willow uses her oxygen tank as a flamethrower to kill the beast, only to reveal there was no beast at all. This raises more questions than answers: What exactly happened? Did she kill her father? Did Noah kill Imogen’s father? The ending feels like an underwhelming mess that fails to resolve the story’s central mysteries.
The BEAST WITHIN premiered at the Fantasia Festival on 22 July 2024. The film received a limited theatrical release in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States on 26 July.
