--- title: "The Beasts" year: 2022 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-beasts" fi1m_id: "the-beasts" imdb_id: "tt15006566" tmdb_id: 848685 wikidata_id: "Q108919489" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 6 published: "2026-09-10" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:09.090683+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Beasts (2022) Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen · 2h 18m · MPA NR · Thriller, Drama ## Identity The Beasts - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-beasts - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-beasts - **IMDb ID:** tt15006566 - **TMDB ID:** 848685 - **Wikidata ID:** Q108919489 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15006566/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/848685, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108919489 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 74 from 6 reviews *In a sentence:* Neighbours from hell, except the hill is theirs and they were there first > Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s feud between a French couple and the Galician brothers next door is patient, frightening and fair to both sides. It is long, and its second half asks for a different kind of attention. Give it; Marina Foïs is worth it. ## Synopsis Antoine and Olga, a French couple in their fifties, have settled in a hamlet in the hills of Galicia, where they grow vegetables for market and restore the abandoned stone houses around them. Their nearest neighbours are the Anta brothers, Xan and Lorenzo, who have farmed the same slope all their lives and still live with their mother. When a company offers the village money to build a wind farm, Antoine votes against it. The brothers wanted the money and do not forgive him. Insults in the bar become threats at the gate, and Antoine starts recording the brothers on a camcorder. Olga wants him to let it go. Their grown daughter Marie visits from France. Marina Foïs and Denis Ménochet lead; Luis Zahera and Diego Anido play the brothers. ## Review Antoine and Olga are French, in their fifties, and have moved to a hamlet in the hills of Galicia to grow vegetables and do up the ruined houses around them. Next door are the Anta brothers, Xan and Lorenzo, who have farmed the same slope all their lives and never left it. A wind-farm company has offered the village money for its land, and Antoine has voted no. The brothers wanted the money. That is the whole quarrel, and Rodrigo Sorogoyen builds 138 minutes out of it. This is a very good film, patient and frightening, and it is fair to people it would have been easier to condemn. It is also long, and it changes shape halfway through in a way that will lose some viewers. It opens with men wrestling wild horses to the ground with their bare hands, filmed close and slow by Alejandro de Pablo so that you hear the breathing before you see the fear. We flinched, and Sorogoyen means us to; the image hangs over everything that follows. De Pablo shoots the rest in wide, grey-green frames with mist sitting in the valley, and he likes to keep the camera still while people walk towards it. It is lovely country, and the film makes it look like somewhere nobody would find you. Denis Ménochet plays Antoine as a big, decent, stubborn man who thinks that being right will be enough. He films the brothers when they threaten him and walks over to have it out with them when he should not. Luis Zahera’s Xan is the best thing in the film. He is small, wiry and never stops talking, and he hates Antoine with a hatred that has had years to settle. There is a scene in the village bar, held in one long take, where Xan explains what the wind money would have meant: what his life has been, what the land is worth, what a Frenchman with a pension and a plan cannot understand about either. We caught ourselves nodding along for a minute or so. Then we remembered what he had been doing to Antoine’s well. The film had let him talk us round, and it meant to. Diego Anido plays the younger brother, Lorenzo, who is slower than Xan and does what he is told. Anido never lets him become a joke; his silences are the most alarming thing on the hill. Marina Foïs, as Olga, spends the first hour at the edge of scenes, feeding animals and asking her husband to leave it alone. She does little and you watch her anyway. When the film turns to her, and it does, she carries it without once raising her voice. José Tirado’s production design states the argument before anyone speaks. The couple’s house is stone, whitewashed and patched with care; the Antas’ house is stone, dark and left exactly as it was. Paola Torres puts Antoine in the fleece and wellingtons of the life he wanted, and Xan in the same jumper for two hours. Olivier Arson’s score is used sparingly, a low pulse that arrives once the talking has stopped, and Alberto del Campo cuts as if he trusted the actors more than the plot, which he was right to. It is still fifteen minutes too long, mostly in the second half. About that second half. Isabel Peña and Sorogoyen’s script changes its protagonist and its pace, and we will not say how. Several critics felt the tension went out of the film at that point, and we understand the complaint: the first hour is a thriller and the second is something quieter. We think the quieter film is the better one. It is about what it costs to stay somewhere, and Foïs makes staying look harder than any fight. Sorogoyen’s *The Realm* was a political thriller that never stopped moving. This one barely moves at all, and it is the more unsettling for it. It is drawn from a real case, which the film does not lean on, and it takes both sides seriously enough that you will leave arguing about who started it. See it in a cinema if you can; the hills need the width. And do not, whatever you do, watch it the night before viewing a house in the country. *Fi1m score 80, published 10 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews for The Beasts are warm and closely grouped, with no outright dissent. Most critics take it as a slow-burning rural thriller about a French couple at odds with their Galician neighbours, and the praise clusters in two places: the handling of tension, built through small incidents and long takes rather than sudden shocks, and the performances, above all Marina Foïs, whom several reviews credit with carrying the film once it shifts its attention from the men to the women. Luis Zahera’s antagonist is singled out almost as often, and many critics admire the refusal to make either side simply right. The reservations are about the back half. Time Out finds the tension dissipates in the third act, The Skinny thinks the later stretch turns more conventional, and Slant Magazine objects to a reliance on plot and some static visuals. Nobody calls it a failure; the question is how well it holds its nerve. ## Straight answers **Is The Beasts worth watching?** *The Beasts* is worth watching for anyone with the patience for a slow, frightening neighbour feud that plays fair with both sides, and we scored it 80. It runs 138 minutes and changes shape halfway through, from thriller to something quieter, which will lose some viewers. Marina Foïs and Luis Zahera make it worth staying for. **How long is The Beasts, and what is it rated?** *The Beasts* runs 2h 18m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a thriller and drama film. **Where can I watch The Beasts in the US?** *The Beasts* is streaming on MUBI, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Beasts, and is it suitable for children?** *The Beasts* is a UK 15 and is not suitable for children. It opens with men wrestling wild horses to the ground, filmed close enough that we flinched, and the rest is sustained menace rather than gore: insults, threats at the gate, a poisoned well. The dread is patient and heavy, so the squeamish and the easily unsettled should think twice. ### Reviews we read (16) - **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (4/5): The review describes a powerful thriller with extraordinary bloody-mindedness, earthy authenticity and effective tension ramp-up in the Galician countryside. It highlights the fierce hatred fueled by xenophobia and a genuine grievance over a wind farm. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1y7jgy/the-beasts/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (80/100, inferred): The film is a fierce, bitter tale of class, xenophobia and rural noir, inspired by a true story of conflict between incomers and locals in Galicia. It singles out Marina Foïs’ performance for raising the movie with its steel core of anguish. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/22/the-beasts-review-unsettling-rural-noir-is-a-euro-arthouse-twist-on-straw-dogs) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): The critic calls it a gripping parable of rural resentment and xenophobia, humanizing the antagonists while noting strong performances and tension in the Galician setting. It praises the believable study of human conflict despite some dissipation in the third act. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-beasts-2023) - **Little White Lies**, Anton Bitel (4/3/4): The review highlights the film's symmetrical structure and focus on real-life inspired rural hostility, praising performances by Ménochet, Zahera, Anido and especially Foïs. It notes how the story shifts from masculine confrontation to female stoicism midway. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-beasts) - **Los Angeles Times**, Carlos Aguilar: Sorogoyen’s slow-simmering thriller makes it impossible to fully side with either party in the moral dilemma of outsiders versus locals. The visceral potency lies in showing how dehumanizing others enables violence, with unexpected depth in the second half. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-04/the-beasts-spanish-review-goyas-denis-menochet) - **RogerEbert.com**, Simon Abrams: The film is an atmospheric true-crime thriller that avoids simple moralizing by focusing on the intense emotional deadlock between neighbors. The director and crew excel at evoking the desolate village setting and strong ensemble performances. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-beasts-movie-review-2023) - **Screen Daily**: The critic calls it a terrific psychological thriller and brooding, muscular piece of filmmaking that makes the most of the Galician backdrop and strong performances by Ménochet and Zahera. It singles out Olga/Foïs as the film's secret weapon for showing real strength. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-beasts-cannes-review/5171267.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Guy Lodge: The critic praises the film's tense portrayal of escalating neighbor conflicts in rural Galicia, highlighting strong performances especially from Marina Foïs as Olga. It notes the blend of social politics and psychodrama with sympathies not clearly divided. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/beasts-tense-tale-nightmare-neighbours-windswept-galicia) - **Slant Magazine**: The critic describes the film as a knotty rural noir that effectively switches protagonists and explores themes of machismo, gentrification, and women's fortitude amid escalating conflict. It notes the strong visual setup and performances but criticizes over-reliance on plot and static visuals. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-beasts-review-rodrigo-sorogoyen/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jordan Mintzer: The critic praises the film's searing tension and bleak portrait of rural xenophobia and cultural conflict in Galicia. Strong performances by Denis Ménochet and Marina Foïs are highlighted as the story builds to inevitable violence and explores machismo and outsider struggles. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-beasts-review-rodrigo-sorogoyen-1235543818/) - **The New York Times**, Beatrice Loayza: The engrossing rural thriller offers a deeper take on class tensions than typical hill-people horror. Marina Foïs carries the film as it shifts into a restrained drama about familial loyalty and womanly fortitude. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/movies/the-beasts-review.html) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): A toxic true-life culture clash becomes the basis for a dark and unsettling thriller that steers clear of exploitation cinema while portraying male rage and the endurance of women in rural communities. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-beasts-review-a-dash-of-straw-dogs-in-galicia-3k8hfrw89) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge: Sorogoyen delivers a gripping art-house thriller that is a deeply uncomfortable portrait of everyday evil, terrifying for being rooted in real conflict. Chief Film Critic Peter Debruge praises the year’s best villain in Luis Zahera and the film’s avoidance of sensationalizing violence. [Read](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-beasts-review-a-disturbing-look-at-as-bestas-1235681151) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film effective at building tension through minor incidents and slow takes that suggest impending violence. Sorogoyen is praised for exploring the class and cultural gulf between the middle-class French couple and the local Galician farmers without resorting to simplistic portrayals. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-beasts-2022-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **The Skinny**, Fernando García (★★★): The film is a solid rural thriller that builds tense, oppressive atmosphere in its first half while weaving in social commentary on rural life and gentrification via a strong long-take scene. It shifts into deeper but somewhat more conventional territory later, though strong performances and camerawork keep it rewarding overall. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-beasts) - **Paste**, Andy Crump (9.5): The critic praises Sorogoyen's assured direction and tense storytelling in this ripped-from-the-headlines thriller about outsiders clashing with locals in rural Galicia. Performances by Denis Ménochet and Marina Foïs, along with the film's subtle visual details and balanced perspective on the conflict, are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/rodrigo-sorogoyen/the-beasts-review) ## Details - **Director:** Rodrigo Sorogoyen - **Director:** Rodrigo Sorogoyen - **Screenplay:** Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Isabel Peña - **Cinematography:** Alejandro de Pablo - **Editor:** Alberto del Campo - **Music:** Olivier Arson - **Production design:** José Tirado - **Costume design:** Paola Torres - **Producer:** Ibon Cormenzana, Jean Labadie, Sandra Tapia Díaz - **Cast:** Marina Foïs as Olga; Denis Ménochet as Antoine; Luis Zahera as Xan; Diego Anido as Lorenzo; Marie Colomb as Marie Denis; Machi Salgado as Rafael; David Menéndez as Cabo 3 Alfonso; Luisa Merelas as Madre Anta - **Runtime:** 2h 18m - **Certificate (MPA):** NR - **Release (the US):** 28 July 2023 - **Genres:** Thriller, Drama - **Budget:** $4 million - **Box office:** $10 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmgdYXYQYac ## Where to watch in the US - MUBI: streaming, hd - Apple TV: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: rent $4.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AR, AT, BE, BR, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, PA, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - César Award for Best Foreign Film 2023: César Award for Best Foreign Film (won) - Lumière Award for Best International Co-Production 2023: Lumière Award for Best International Co-Production (won) - Premio Feroz for Best Drama 2023: Premio Feroz for Best Drama (won) ## If you liked this - *The Realm* (2018): Sorogoyen’s earlier film: a corrupt politician on the run, at twice the speed - *Straw Dogs* (1971): Peckinpah’s incomer in Cornwall; the same quarrel, with far less patience - *Leviathan* (2014): A Russian mechanic fights the mayor for his land and the sea watches - *Calibre* (2018): Two Edinburgh men, one Highland village, one mistake nobody can undo - *Bacurau* (2019): A Brazilian village disappears from the map and the outsiders arrive armed --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-beasts