SciFi Drama ‘The Beast’ Timeshifts to Digital Sales, VOD June 18

Janus Films’ The Beast Arrives to Rent or Buy on June 18

In the near future where emotions have become a threat, Gabrielle finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will immerse her in her previous lives and rid her of any strong feelings. She then meets Louis and feels a powerful connection, as if she has known him forever. A melodrama crossed by the genre, which unfolds over three distinct periods, 1910, 2014 and 2044.

Director: Bertrand Bonello
Stars: Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda
Writers: Bertrand Bonello, Guillaume Bréaud, Benjamin Charbit
Genre: SciFi Drama Romance

Theatrical Release: February 7, 2024
Language: French
Rating: NR
Running time: 147 minutes

The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely “erase” their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Epoque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent “retribution.” Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates? Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (SAINT LAURENT, NOCTURAMA) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James’ turn- of-the-century novella, THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career- defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, THE BEAST poignantly conveys humanity’s struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence.