Crowning a film as “the best” in a given year is ultimately subjective.
The film by French visionaryBertrand Bonellocan safely be described as “not for everyone.”
Artificial intelligence controls the fabric of society.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
She encounters a man, Louis (George MacKay), and begins a forbidden romance with him.
Awaiting Gabrielle and Louis in France is the fatalistic threat of the 1910 Great Flood of Paris.
Bonello constructs a familiar atmosphere in 1910 Paris: the gilded cage.
Image via Janus Films
Humanity’s fascination with the inevitability of death is an evergreen concept.
We all know that eternal life is impossible, and people grapple with fatalism in various ways.
Due to its recency and eerie familiarity, the 2014 L.A. chapter ofThe Beastis pure nightmare fuel.
Image via Janus Films
Beneath the veneer of Southern California glamor is Gabrielle’s dissatisfaction with her rudderless life.
Sometimes, the most challenging sci-fi is the best.
The Beastis a perfect demonstration of sampling various genres and influences to create a wholly original artistic expression.
Bertrand Bonellos film feels unique and eerily similar to films weve seen in the past.
In the 2044 segments, Gabrielle attends a nightclub themed around the aesthetic and fashion of various decades.
Something feels off, almost as if someone created these decade-themed events through an A.I.
Image via Janus Films
prompt.The Beastidentifies the inherent void of Artificial Intelligence, a looming entity constantly threatening the viability of human-made art.
No director leaves as unmistakable of a stamp on Bonellos filmasDavid Lynch.
With these influences converging together,The Beastflourished as a true Lynchian nightmare where reality and dreams became inseparable.
In a near future artificial intelligence is in control of everyone’s lives and human emotions are perceived as a threat.
Bonello’s direction is not just an exercise in pastiche formalism.
In 2014, Gabrielle lived in a mansion overlooking the Los Angeles skyline.
The Beastis currently available to stream on The Criterion Channel in the U.S.
WATCH ON CRITERION
