The Beast

In a near future where raw feeling is treated as a threat, Gabrielle signs up for a DNA purification procedure meant to purge intense emotions by letting her experience past lives anew. The procedure promises detachment, a clean slate, and the chance to recode what it means to feel. During this process she crosses paths with Louis, a mysterious figure whose presence unsettles her carefully calibrated calm. What begins as an electric, almost fated affinity deepens into a clash of memory and longing, forcing Gabrielle to reconsider what remains when emotion is stripped away. The story centers on choice, connection, and the risk of purging humanity. The film treats memory as a hinge that can heal or fracture the self.

Directed by Bertrand Bonello with contributions from Henry James and Guillaume Bréaud, The Beast arrives as an original concept rather than an adaptation. It premiered in 2024 with a budget of 7.5 million dollars.

Box office worldwide reached 760,979 dollars. With a budget of 7.5 million, the film earned modestly on release, reflecting a limited, artful rollout aimed at festival circuits and selective theaters. Its footprint stayed limited to art house venues across cities.

Awards: No nominations are listed to date. The Beast has drawn attention for Léa Seydoux's controlled performance and George MacKay's chemistry, with Bonello's precise direction and striking production design, though critics suggest the film may be more admired than celebrated in awards circles. Its visuals may win attention from critics.

Reception centers on the film's claustrophobic feel and its take on emotion as both danger and doorway. It probes identity through memory, the ethics of genome based self reinvention, and the tension between fate and choice in romance, and the risk of commodifying emotion. That aspect lingers with viewers long.