NEWS

Starring Daniel MacPherson as Patton James and Bren Foster as Xavier Grau, "Beast" is the story of Patton James, a down on his luck former MMA fighter struggling to provide for his family. After his brother and fellow MMA fighter suffers a serious accident at the hands of his former rival, Xavier Grau, James is commissioned to fight Grau to not only get a significant paycheck, but also to settle who's the best MMA fighter.

A surprisingly intense film, "Beast" provides a very realistic vision of not only the training that aspiring fighters go through but also the dangers they face when they enter the ring. The film does not shy away from the bloodshed that MMA fighters potentially suffer from fights. Every hit is felt to the point audiences will wonder how these people survive these blows. "Beast" also puts great emphasis on the longterm impacts of some injuries, with Grau putting James' brother in a coma that damages him mentally long after he wakes up.

Daniel MacPherson is captivating as Patton James. Most of the film is spent outside of the ring with James trying to repair his relationship with his friends and his estranged brother after being sent to prison years ago and never returning to fighting after he got out. Though he makes some questionable decisions, audiences will still find themselves rooting for him throughout the film due to his emotional delivery in every scene he's in. Russell Crowe, who co-wrote the script, plays Patton’s former trainer, adding another emotional layer to the story.

Though marketed as a fight movie, "Beast" puts more emphasis on Patton’s personal narrative than on the actual fighting. The movie is often slow and dialogue heavy, with a predictable story. Though MMA scenes are engaging, audiences will have to sit through a lot to get to said scenes. This may be jarring for viewers depending on what they expected the movie to be. An interesting film, "Beast" is much less of a fight movie and more of a family drama. Decently entertaining, but audiences should be sure of what they're actually getting into.

6/10