In Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s film Like the Bestas, Marina Foys and Denis Menochet play a French couple terrorized by their neighbors in a Galician village. Harrowing and animalistic, the thriller stands out as one of the surprises of summer 2022.
Just when they thought they’d found a corner of heaven, they discover hell. In As Bestas, Rodrigo Sorogoyen is interested in neighborhood disputes. A theme that has already been the subject of several thrillers in the cinema, but the Spanish filmmaker rises above it. It tells the story of a French couple who came to settle in Galicia to build a haven of peace there. Their life project will be opposed by the enmity of their neighbors, two brothers who are ready to do anything to mark their territory.
As its title suggests, the film explores human animality and reveals what lies hidden at its worst. The director known for his intense style does not spare the audience. They, like the characters, are trapped by the invading menace and creeping terror. Crescendo, going so far as to switch to pure horror in the style of Sam Peckinpah’s classic Straw Dogs with Dustin Hoffman. To portray the couple, Madre’s author is surrounded by Marina Fois – who once again shines in a dark register – and Denis Menochetti.
With his impressive build, the actor, first of all, does not correspond to the idea that he can be a predator. Surprisingly, this was the wish of Rodrigo Sorogoyen. “It annoys me when I see actors doing the same thing all the timeBegins directing at the 75th Cannes Film Festival where as Bestas was presented. Dennis is a very strong man, it is true, but there is a lot of sensitivity in his eyes.. “
Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Denis Menochet.
Along with his countryman, Denis Menoche had to learn a new language and compose a very physical role. One of the film’s most telling scenes—which we’ll be careful not to reveal—made him feel sick. “The violence of that fight sequence, swimming naked in an icy lake…was exhaustinghe recalls. We didn’t have a lot of time, so sometimes we only had one take for certain scenes, but we were lucky to have such an experience.”
The film was shot in a Galician village in extreme temperatures – freezing hot. This disturbing decor becomes a character in itself and contributes to the atmosphere. “There are many small abandoned villages in Spain, and this is a social phenomenonThe director reveals. Life disappears, but sometimes two or three families remain in some places. Opportunities are not the same for these people.“
Luis Zahera and Diego Anido “As Bestas”.
From this isolation is born an animalistic and destructive rage, which Rodrigo Sorogoyen brings to perfection on screen with the help of two Spanish actors, Luis Zahera and Diego Anido. The first one, who has already worked with the director before, is surprising. When the filmmaker is asked what he finds so terrifying in him, he replies: “JI see madness in his eyes. He has this great ability to drive you crazy.“
Interview by Thomas Desroches, Cannes, May 2022.
as Bestas by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, in theaters on July 20, 2022.
Source: allocine
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