Beast (2022) and Orphan: First Kill – Movie Reviews

You have to know what you’re getting into with Beast (2022). I knew what it was going to be when I walked into it, however, it still was not made for me. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur and from a screenplay by Ryan Engle, this film stars Idris Elba in the lead role, with Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Sharlto Copley as the supporting cast.

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First off, I like Idris Elba, I think he’s a fine actor, and he was charming in Beast (2022). He had good chemistry with his co-stars, and I think they were all pretty well cast. The child actors were pretty good, they satisfied what child actors had to accomplish pretty well. The action is actually pretty good, there were some great long takes and tense moments that I really dug from this movie, particularly in the third act.

But there wasn’t a ton I took away from Beast (2022). It’s not one of the best action movies out there, or most expertly crafted long takes of the year, or any major achievement in cinematography. The dialogue is soo corny, and the plot is ridiculous. The fake lion (one of the selling points of the movie) was super distracting and took me out of it a ton. But it’s well-paced and overall a fine time in a theater. If you need some dumb fun, this will probably satisfy that craving.

‘Beast (2022)’ Rating – 2.5/5

Review by Billy (@teen.reviews.movies)

Orphan: First Kill is directed by William Brent Bell, written by David Coggeshall, starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Matthew Finlan. After escaping a psychiatric facility, Esther pretends to be the missing daughter of a wealthy family with the intention of taking advantage of them for all their worth.

I’ve got conflicted feelings about this one. There are parts that I like and admire. I think they try to tell an ambitious story that is brought to life by the good performance from Isabelle Fuhrman. I also liked the character of Tricia Albright, who plays Esther’s mom. There is a really good scene a little over halfway through the movie that made me excited to see the rest.

However, I was disappointed where it ended up. I think that a really cool premise was set up, and the writers took a predictable route. Also the movie unravels if like one DNA test is done. All in all, Orphan: First Kill is a movie that could have been a lot more than what it ended up being.

‘Orphan: First Kill’ Rating – 3/5

Review by Andy Mikesic (@kc_moviereviews)