Filmed in Welsh, “The Beast” follows a young woman serving privileged guests at a dinner party in a remote house in rural Wales. The assembled guests do not realize they are about to eat their last supper.
This Welsh Housecore Horror offers multiple appetizing and appropriately unappetizing courses. Housecore is a recently coined genre where films like “Parasite” and “Ex-Machina” fall under since they take place mainly in a luxurious house. But Housecore branches off different typical genres like horror, mystery, and sci-fi. “The Feast” is set on a stunning modern estate made up of black brick, steel, and glass.
Told in several chapters, the story begins with Cadi (Annes Elwy), a server who arrives at the remote property hired to help a family hosting an important dinner. The family is very peculiar, matriarch Glenda (Nia Roberts) is cold and blunt while her husband Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) is a large man who glares at everyone with intense disdain. Their sons, Gweirydd (Siôn Alun Davies) and Guto (Steffan Cennydd) are polar opposites of one another. Gweirydd is training for the iron man and walks around the house staring at mirrors searching for imperfections. His younger brother Guto is stylishly dressed in a leopard print shirt and struggles with substance abuse. The whole cast is terrific but Elwy’s dynamic performance steals the show.
Inside the home, director Lee Haven Woods frames the exquisite interior design with claustrophobic angles, while outside shots always feature some form of nature. The layered wide-screen cinematography by Bjørn Ståle Bratberg recalls Robert Richardson who shot some of the best-looking films for Scorsese, Stone, and Tarantino. Bratberg similarly makes brilliant use of strong lighting, vibrant colors, and deep shadows.
Roger Williams’ screenplay explores compelling ideas like greed over environmental protection and interesting Welsh folklore. His script is never dull and he uses natural exposition which isn’t easy to pull off. While I know some people are unwilling to read subtitles, this story is universal. The ending, when it arrives, is somewhat predictable but satisfying nonetheless. Just make sure you don’t watch this on a full stomach.
“The Feast” recently had its World Premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival
