The Beast Within a werewolf-themed British horror film directed by Alexander J Farrell is being released by Signature Entertainment to streaming platforms from 19 August.

As a title The Beast Within is one of the best to reflect the extremely circular nature of the horror genre.  The first shape-shifter-themed movie to go by the title of The Beast Within was made in 1982 by Phillipe Mora (later of ‘The Howling’ sequels).  The film’s premise is of a debased and degraded prisoner who escapes captivity and rapes a local woman who then gives birth to a child who grows up to transform into a monster on nights of the full moon.  The film’s monster is not a werewolf per se but the premise is lifted directly from Hammer Films’ Curse of the Werewolf (1961), itself based on the best werewolf novel of the 20th century, Guy Endore’s The Werewolf of Paris  (1935), although the creature’s genesis there is more complicated.

Farrell takes elements of the above (such as the creature willingly accepting incarceration) but a much closer antecedent would be The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973).  With this Farrell’s movie shares the premise of a child suspecting their father of being a werewolf with the rest of the movie based around the child’s divided loyalties.

The new The Beast Within is a bit of a parson’s egg.  There is much to admire but its overall effectiveness is compromised by certain factors.

Farrell and his cinematographer have a great eye.  Rarely has the English countryside appeared so sylvian, huge and imposing.  The aesthetic acuity extends to casting.  Actors like Caoilinn Springall as the child protagonist Willow and Ashleigh Cummings as the mother Imogen have faces the camera loves.  Performances are solid, particularly Springall and in spite of being the titular ‘beast’, a somewhat peripheral character, Kit Harington as the father Noah in his scenes with Willow shows what an underrated actor he is.

What I feel The Beast Within may be remembered for besides its general effective ‘look’ is the outstanding part of the third act just before the climax.  Thematically nothing new (an adult protects a child from their mutual discovery by a monster in a dark location.  Think ‘Aliens’), the handling is so dexterous I was tense and uncomfortable throughout.

Unfortunately, The Beast Within cannot be judged a total success.  Its committed attempts at characterization are frequently undermined by flat dialogue.  Another problem, frequently encountered in werewolf movies, is an unconvincing prosthetic suit.  When Farrell teases glimpses as in the sequence alluded to above, it works well.  When it is seen close up, even on fire, it looks like so many before it like a gorilla suit with a wolf pelt tied around the actor’s head.

Despite my caveats, The Beast Within is an admirably serious take on the werewolf story as a family drama.  It succeeds in most ways and is definitely worth a watch.