The Beasts: Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s film follows a French couple and their growing conflict with the next-door neighbours in a small Spanish village; the film creates uneasiness from the get-go and only builds up from there. A scene showcases the reason for the resentment, and by itself, it’s hard to not understand both sides, but by them, it’s clear that one of them is villainous and barbaric in their methods. Hence, the tension. The acting is superb: Denis Ménochet, as the bear-of-a-man always walking a fine line between anger and fear; Marina Foïs, as his wife, a level-headed woman who can be tough-as-nails; Marie Colomb, as their daughter, a smaller role made great by one gut-wrenching scene. But the film truly belongs to Luis Zahera, the eldest of the neighbours, a bully if there ever was one, ferocious and resentful; his younger, simple brother, is very well-played by Diego Anido.

Editor Alberto del Campo gives the film an excellent pace, with tension build-up culminating early, just to increase again afterward. The use of the composer’s Olivier Arson unsettling score helps with that immensely. Cinematographer Álex de Pablo’s work is exceptional (even if the projection of the film was criminally bad, robbing the film of its colours and rich light): the camera moves very elegantly, rarely close to the subjects, and two crucial scenes are shot in one single take, with powerful and precise framing both times.