A big fan of thrillers and their variants, Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen is no exception to his favorite genre with his sixth feature, As bestas. This film also borrows from a Western set in a small abandoned village in Galicia. Antoine and Olga, a French couple, settle there and antagonize their new neighbors.
To portray this neo-rural couple, the director surrounds himself with Marina Foys – who once again shines in a dark register – and Denis Menochetti. The latter, who knows how to play with his imposing stature (his harrowing performance as an abusive husband in prison earned him a César nomination for best actor) as well as his skin-deep sensitivity (the actor is particularly moving in the victim. Raped by a priest in Grace to God and receives César’s nomination for Best Supporting Actor), is obvious. Here the actor takes on the challenge of learning a new language and tackling a very physical performance.
Since its presentation at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Premiere section, As bestas has followed a good trajectory. When it was released in France, it attracted more than 300,000 spectators, making it one of the summer’s art house successes. In Spain, it achieved more than twice that at the box office and was crowned nine times at the 37th Goya ceremony. Denis Menochet notably won the statuette for Best Actor.
A powerful work that explores human animality without any Manichaeism, As bestas has an average viewer rating of 4.2 out of 5 on AlloCiné.
Best of Rodrigo Sorogoyen with Marina Foy, Denis Menochet, Luis Zahera…
from the age of 10
Tonight on CANAL+ at 21:10.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
