Who would prevail in a battle between Idris Elba and a ferocious lion, asks the new film Beast by director Baltasar Kormákur? Although lions are fearsome, can they compare to “Stringer” Bell in terms of terror? Finally, Beast provides a definite answer to that query. With the release of Beast this weekend, let’s examine what transpires in Elba’s survival drama and, more importantly, who prevails in this battle of man vs. beast.
Elba plays Nate Samuels in the film Beast, a recently widowed doctor who takes his two daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries) to South Africa, where Nate initially met his wife. This group of four learns that a whole hamlet has been destroyed by a lion while touring a game reserve run by Martin (Sharlto Copley), an old family friend. This lion is seeking retribution after a poacher attacked his pride and he was the only survivor.
The majority of Beast is spent with the family and Martin being confined on the preserve in a broken-down automobile that is constantly attacked by this enraged lion. But at night, a cluster of poachers discover the abandoned car. This time, the lion charges, smashing the poachers to pieces. The lion assaults the car holding Meredith, Norah, and Martin once more, harming Meredith as Nate searches among the carcasses for the poacher’s car keys. While Martin waits in the car to keep the lion from being disturbed, Nate’s children flee to the poacher’s car.
Nate gets to the poacher’s car, and then he and his daughters leave because he needs to contact Meredith’s therapist quickly. Regrettably, the car quickly runs out of gas, although only close enough to the old abandoned Martin showed the family on their trip to the preserve. The schoolhouse has served as a sort of base for the poachers, hiding their kills. As Nate moves to patch Meredith and seeks assistance, the lion reappears, ready to complete the attack on the Samuels family.
Knowing that another pride is close by the schoolhouse and could support him in this battle, Nate decides to advance the lion far from his kids. Martin and the lion engage in combat while Nate fights for his life as he and the following lion approach the other pride. Nate gets scratched and clawed, just as it seems like Nate has no chance, the clan of lions steps in, finally putting an end to the savage lion.
Nate is awakened by his daughters inside the hospital after having a dream about his wife after the lions kill the other lion. The Samuels family has made it through their terrible journey, and after Nate has healed, they visit a tree that Nate’s wife took a loving tribute to the woman they still terribly.
