The Beasts

The Beasts

Spain | 2022 | 137 min. | Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Set in a remote mountain village in Galicia, Spain, this potent thriller depicts the friction between a local powerbroker and a middle-aged French couple who have moved there to start a farming life.

Making a simple and fruitful life for themselves in a region known for its hostility to outsiders, French expats Antoine (Denis Ménochet, Inglourious Basterds) and Olga (Marina Foïs, The Workshop) want nothing more than to tend to their small, rustic Galician homestead, sell the vegetables grown on their farm, and become part of the once-thriving local community that's nestled in a land of breathtaking beauty—as well as a brutality that simmers just beneath the surface. Yet Antoine and Olga's plans for renovation are quickly challenged by thuggish local brothers Xan (Luis Zahera, The Realm) and Lorenzo (Diego Anido), who are mired in poverty and deeply resentful of the couple's presence. As their home is vandalized, their garden poisoned, and tension escalates, Antoine summons whatever resources he can—turning to the inept local police, surreptitiously filming interactions with the brothers, even simply trying to reason with the pair in an effort to broker peace, all to no avail. But as anger explodes into a violent, shocking confrontation, it is Olga who must pick up the pieces, tapping into a deep well of inner strength and leading to an unexpected revelation in this potent new thriller. Winner of nine Goya Awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor, from acclaimed writer/director Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Mother), co-written with Isabel Peña.

Hebe Tabachnik

  • Original Language Title: As bestas
  • Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
  • Principal Cast: Denis Ménochet, Marina Foïs
  • Country: Spain, France
  • Year: 2022
  • Running Time: 137 min.
  • Producer: Eduardo Villanueva, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé
  • Screenplay: Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen
  • Cinematographers: Alejandro De Pablo
  • Editors: Alberto Del Campo
  • Music: Olivier Arson
  • Website: Official Film Website
  • Awards: San Sebastian 2022 (Audience Award, Best European Film), Tokyo 2022 (Grand Prize, Best Film), Goya Awards 2023 (Best Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Music, Sound)
  • Filmography: The Realm (2018), May God Save Us (2016)
  • Language: Spanish, Galician, French
  • Has Subtitles: Yes
  • US Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
  • International Sales: Latido Films