The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2022 - Issue 31

bitefilms he survival thriller Beast, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, demonstrates who truly rules the jungle. A recently widowed Dr Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with his two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries). They visit a game reserve managed by a family friend and fellow wild- life biologist, Martin Battles (Sharito Copley), but trouble starts brewing upon their arrival. A ferocious, man-hunting rogue lion attacks villagers and devours anyone in its path. A vacation meant to reconnect and introduce his daugh- ters to the country where their parents met turns into an unexpected nightmare. Instead, their journey of healing is a fight for survival where their resilience is tested. As Battles declares after they found the devoured bodies, “I’ve never seen anything like this: Multiple attacks without eating its prey. Lions don’t do that. At least no lion I’ve ever seen” shows they are dealing with something more than a flesh-eating mammal. A ‘heart-in-the-throat’ moment is while investigating some- thing, Battles tells Samuels to go back to the girls. He quickly runs through the rural shrubbery to the car, and just as the doctor gets into the vehicle, the lion pounces at the window, cracking it slightly. The lion climbs over the bonnet, rocking the Range Rover, and Meredith is told to drive. They almost end up flying off a cliff but managed to stop in time. What a life-threatening moment! So next time you go into the jungle, be wary of what lurks among the trees and bushes. You may get an unpleasant surprise. Released date: 26 August 2022 www.beastmovie.com NEWFILMRELEASES Jada Brookes looks at some of the latest films on and coming soon to the big screen. B east