Name: The Beast (film)
Start: 2024-07-28T14:00:00
Location: Manship Theatre

Bertrand Bonello

Manship Theatre

Experience the visually audacious sci-fi romance, "The Beast," presented by Films at Manship. Directed by Bertrand Bonello, known for his works "Saint Laurent" and "Nocturama," this film is set in the year 2044, where artificial intelligence governs a stoic society, and humans routinely erase their emotions to avoid the pain of past-life romances. The narrative follows Gabrielle, portrayed by Léa Seydoux, as she continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis, played by George MacKay. Their love story spans various eras, beginning in Belle Époque-era Paris, where Louis is a British man who woos Gabrielle away from her cold husband, and transitioning to early 21st Century Los Angeles, where Louis becomes a disturbed American seeking violent retribution. The film explores whether Gabrielle and Louis can fully connect in the present or if they are doomed to repeat their past fates. Inspired by Henry James’ turn-of-the-century novella, "The Beast" is suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Seydoux delivers a career-defining performance in three distinct roles, poignantly conveying humanity’s struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence. The film is presented in English and French with English subtitles.