Beast

Stars: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Hailey, Leah Jeffries

Director: Baltasar Kormakur

Dr Idris Elba and his two screen daughters (Hailey, Jeffries) flee green-screen special effects masquerading as a huge lion in this jungle nerve-jangler. But, never fear, just watch Idris kick and punch the hell out of those effects - sorry, lion - in the inevitable final confrontation between man and man-eater.

Mind you, the poor old lion, who has gone rogue after poachers killed his entire pride, is in a sorry state by the end, as well might you be if you'd been catapulted down a cliff by the van you were attacking and then fireballed as one of those in the van incinerates themselves.

Elba and the girls are good - I liked the older daughter's description of something non-modern as 'so back in the day'- as is the reliable Copley as the old friend/guide who takes them on a supposedly safe African safari.

It's all as artificial as a three-pound coin, and stuffed with people doing silly things that obviously place them in danger. Still, the action does keep coming at you, making this decent-enough popcorn stuff for the summer season.

David Quinlan

USA/South Africa 2022. UK Distributor: Universal. Colour by Company 3.
95 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 24 Aug 2022