The Beasts (2022)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.