As a child who grew up watching horror movies and being fascinated by their ability to evoke fear and suspense, I found “The Beast Within” to be a truly unique and captivating experience. The film’s narrative structure, which is told through the eyes of a young girl named Willow, immediately drew me in as it mirrored my own childhood where reality and fantasy often blurred together.
Reality creates the scariest monsters. Villains from some of the best horror franchises, like Freddy Krueger, Norman Bates, and even Leatherface, have real-life origins, and they’re scary for the levels of absurdity added on top of the depth and uneasiness provided by their backstory truths. The most deadly threats just might be your next-door neighbors, and Kit Harington’sThe Beast Within highlights this concept of a monster lurking nearby with its ending.
This movie titled “The Beast Within” features Kit Harington, Caoilinn Springall, Ashleigh Cummings, and James Cosmo. The story centers around 10-year-old Willow (portrayed by Springall), who is attempting to make sense of the peculiar events surrounding her father Noah (Harington).
Upon its debut, the movie didn’t win over critics, but I personally found it to be an intricate examination of various ideologies that monsters can symbolize. The climactic ending of The Beast Within, however, turns the narrative into a more multifaceted story about domesticity and deceit.
Warning The Beast Within spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
What Happened At The End Of The Beast Within
In a different phrasing: Waylon (Cosmo) remains at the farm and shuts the gate so that Willow and Imogen (Cummings) can flee, and they manage to reach the forest. As they seek a secure route, though, a werewolf version of Noah snatches Willow and takes her to his secret lair, prompting Imogen to plead with him to let her go free.
She hugs the wolf and tries to soothe Noah, aiming to let Willow escape safely. Yet, he transforms back into the menacing wolf and assaults Imogen, all while inadvertently toppling a lantern, which ignites a blaze.
In this alternate portrayal, Willow resorts to her oxygen tank to ignite Noah, and later, as Willow and Imogen ready themselves to depart from their residence, Willow is struck by recollections of Noah. Unlike the sequence we witness, in this scenario, Noah isn’t a werewolf but rather an ordinary man assaulting Imogen, while Willow looks on tearfully. At the moment Noah calls her “little monster,” both the memory and the movie itself conclude.
The Reality Of What Happened At The End
In the movie “The Beast Within,” it’s clear through Willow’s recollections that Noah isn’t a werewolf, but rather, the monster is a manifestation of Willow’s imagination to deal with her father’s abuse. Throughout the film, many hints suggest that Noah has been both physically and emotionally abusive towards Imogen. Consequently, the movie doesn’t live up to other films with shocking conclusions, as its twist was subtly hinted at throughout.
In the story, we observe not only verbal squabbles but also notice Imogen’s physical injuries, such as bruises. Additionally, she appears to be physically uncomfortable and shaken upon returning from spending time with him. Before the climactic ending of The Beast Within, several crucial scenes subtly portray signs of domestic abuse.
A significant instance arises when Imogen covertly dons an attractive dress concealed in her vehicle. This action may seem odd, but it aligns with Willow observing her mother and detecting bruises. In the novel “The Beast Within“, this dress resurfaces as a trigger for Noah. From Willow’s room, you can hear him angrily confronting Imogen about it later on.
He accuses her of seeing someone and having secrets. He also thinks she plans to leave him. You even hear him apologizing like he just hit her. The scene with the dress also shows Noah’s duality. One minute he’s being a loving father to Willow, then the next, he’s pushing a sandwich from her hand and telling her to shut up.
In the story, Willow’s vivid fantasies lead people to perceive Noah as a real-life werewolf. However, in truth, he is an abusive father. The narrative titled “The Beast Within” underscores that Noah is not a genuine werewolf by depicting Willow engrossed in reading Jack London’s “White Fang,” suggesting her imagination has been shaping this werewolf persona of Noah.
As a fervent admirer of the events unfolding, I must admit there are some uncertainties about that fateful night. However, based on the available evidence, it appears Noah may have returned home enraged. The situation escalated so dramatically that Waylon and Imogen grew fearful he might harm them, even kill them. Desperate to protect themselves, they attempted to flee, but this action only worsened the situation. In an effort to safeguard Imogen’s life, it seems Willow was forced to take drastic measures, leading her to likely end Noah’s life.
On certain evenings, it could be that Noah loses control, consuming excessive alcohol which triggers intense bouts of wrath and fury. Such instances might necessitate separating him due to concerns that he may cause harm or even death to the animals he encounters as a means of dealing with his anger.
In the last scene, Noah seems drunkenly disoriented, suggesting that alcohol might have played a role in his illness and monstrous metamorphosis. However, it’s important to note that alcohol isn’t solely responsible for Noah’s wrath and fury. Flashbacks reveal and hint at his true character, showing him as violent and angry even when he appears perfectly sober.
The Importance Of Willow’s Perspective
In this movie, events unfold from the point of view of the protagonist, Willow. Consequently, viewers find themselves puzzled due to limited information. We’re privy to as much knowledge as she possesses, which isn’t the whole truth. The adults in her life are actively concealing the true nature of their circumstances, giving us a blurred, childlike perspective on events.
At the start of “The Beast Within”, it’s revealed that Willow has a vivid imagination. She frequently reads and plays with her toy house figurine, using her imagination to craft a whimsical perspective on her surroundings. Her father isn’t depicted as an abusive man, but rather a victim of the beast, the werewolf residing within him. However, Willow stops pretending once events unfold, and she can no longer evade the harsh truth of her father’s abuse and cruelty. Unfortunately, her imagination fails to shield her from this grim reality.
In “The Beast Within,” the narrative’s effectiveness lies in its portrayal through Willow’s point of view, which skillfully merges fact and fiction. Since Willow often misunderstands or misconstrues events, the audience is left guessing what’s genuine and what’s fantastical.
In another interpretation, when Imogen and Noah express “Nothing changes,” Willow perceives it as an expression of affection. Yet, in reality, Noah might be using this phrase to maintain control over Imogen, ensuring she doesn’t plan to depart from him.
During an interview with Eye For Film, director Alexander J. Farrell emphasized the significant impact of audience and character Willow’s imaginations in crafting the chilling narrative of “The Beast Within.
We chose not to show the monster until the end, as people’s imaginations can conjure things much more terrifying than anything we could create on screen. Consequently, much of the film invites viewers to imagine and interpret for themselves, particularly with regard to Willow’s experiences. This is where the real horror lies in this movie.
It’s clear that Willow is just as frightened as a child, and this apprehension is palpable to the audience. We, too, feel uneasy because she does. Since we can’t determine who to rely on, neither can she. This uncertainty adds to the film’s suspense, making her perspective all the more significant.
The Theme Of Trapped In The Beast Within
In the story of “The Beast Within“, every character seems ensnared. Waylon’s dilemma lies in his inability to make his daughter escape from her abusive relationship, which in turn entangles him within it as he strives to safeguard her. Imogen finds herself unable to part ways with Noah, perhaps due to fear or a misplaced loyalty or love for him. Willow is confined within this household alongside her parents, and her condition imposes certain restrictions upon her as well.
I grapple with a monstrous entity lurking within me, a part of myself I can’t shake off. Despite recognizing the beast I’ve become, I find myself powerless to change or gather the fortitude to abandon my cherished family.
In a conversation with Film Review Daily, Alexander J. Farrell makes an intriguing observation: many notable monster movies concentrate on preventing the monster’s entry. However, this is impractical in the case of “The Beast Within,” as the monster dwells within this household. It resides here and even contributes financially. Furthermore, the movie delves into the beast that resides within numerous individuals.
The pattern of abuse in Noah’s behavior seems to be a family tradition, as he speaks about his grandfather and father being abusive too. The film concludes with Noah calling Willow a “little monster.” This might lead to Willow grappling with her own anger when she matures, given that the same darkness within Noah could potentially reside in her. However, it’s important to remember that just because this darkness is present doesn’t mean she will perpetuate the cycle. Instead, she will need to put in a lot of effort to prevent any such recurrence.
In an exceptional display of acting talent, Kit Harington and Caoilinn Springall shine brightly in this chilling Hulu horror production that should not be missed. This film is undoubtedly one of the top choices for viewing on Hulu at present.
Stream The Beast Within on Hulu.
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2024-11-10 00:07