‘The Beast’ is an action-thriller in which Samuel L. Jackson plays a U.S. president facing threats from a well-armed militia or terrorists. The film centers on his heavily armored, high-tech car, which he uses during an escalating confrontation that also involves the Secret Service.
Across reviews, Joel Kinnaman appears as a severely wounded Secret Service agent who joins the battle as attackers close in. Outlets describe Renny Harlin’s direction as combining intense set pieces with elements that some reviewers view as deliberately over-the-top or occasionally goofy. While Variety calls the movie “subpar” and criticizes early moments as among the goofiest of the year, the other reviews focus more on the broadly familiar premise—an embattled president and agent trapped amid hordes—along with criticism that the film becomes overly silly or tedious. Overall, the consensus is that the film delivers action scenarios built around the armored-vehicle premise, but falls short for several critics in execution and tone.
