Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2024
#8. The Beast

I had read that Bertrand Bonello’s romantic sci-fi epic was a tough watch — the sort of impenetrable art film that leaves you more confused than moved. So I was delighted when it turned out to be an ambitious but easily decipherable tale of a couple whose love affair spans centuries.

Based (very) loosely on the Henry James novella The Beast in the Jungle, The Beast follows Gabrielle and Louis, played by Léa Seydoux and George MacKay, through three timelines: France in 1910, Los Angeles in 2014, and 2044 in an unnamed city ruled by artificial intelligence.

In the future, Gabrielle undergoes a DNA purification process to strip her of human emotions and make her a more efficient worker. The process causes her to relive memories of her past lives, each of which found her involved with Louis in some fashion.

The timelines each have a distinct visual palette: the warm hues of turn-of-the-century France, the cool blues of modern Los Angeles, and the flat, beige surfaces of the future world. Bonello inserts visual and auditory parallels that tie the segments together, making this a film that rewards repeat viewings but flows quite well the first time through.

The Beast‘s greatest special effect is the luminous presence of Seydoux, who has never looked more beautiful or felt more deeply onscreen. She brings a palpable vulnerability to each of her incarnations as they fight to hang on to their humanity. MacKay is just as good, learning French for the early scenes and channeling a dead-eyed incel for the Los Angeles segment.

I’ve described this movie as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind crossed with Mulholland Drive, and while it isn’t the equal of either, it is mesmerizing, haunting and romantic in many of the same ways.