The Beast

In order to purge hers and purify her DNA, Gabrielle must navigate her past lives to try to isolate the lingering pangs, not only of passion, but also of clutching fear. In both 1904 France and 2014 Los Angeles, she encounters Louis anew — a dashing English aristocrat in the former time, a bitter incel in the latter. Despite each dramatically reconfigured dynamic, an inexplicable yearning remains. Lurking alongside, however, is a palpable sense of premonition: the metaphorical beast. Freely adapted from The Beast in the Jungle, Henry James’ classic novella of destiny, ardour, and foreboding, the film stars an effortless Léa Seydoux as Gabrielle and an equally magnetic George MacKay as Louis, two star-crossed lovers whose fatal attraction endures across time and space.

Directed by Bertrand Bonello

2023 | Canada, France | English and French language with English subtitles | DCP