Beast Review – Entertaining, A Hard-Charging, Against-All-Odds, Sports Drama

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Category: UK A&E, Lifestyle, Culture

Published on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 12:50

Written by Janet Walker

Beast, from Vertigo Releasing, presents a hard-charging, action-packed drama as MMA legend Patton James, after losing his destiny and dropping those who supported him, is drawn back into the ring for one last epic battle.

The film begins on a decade earlier on fight night, when Sammy, played by Russell Crowe, the head trainer for MMA legend Patton James, is prepping his fighter for the biggest fight of his career. We met Patton, played by Daniel MacPherson, is in the last minutes of his pre-fight routine.

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When Sammy walks into his dressing room, James' brother Malon, played by Mojean Aria, also an up and coming MMA fighter, is living the life coasting on his brothers coattail, the suite is filled with women, weed, and champagne. The minute Sammy sees the entourage he is bellowing ordering everyone to leave.

These last minutes we understand the relationship between Sammy and Patton, the coach athlete relationship, the one who sees and believes in you when no one else does, and soon, like all good coaches, Sammy begins the mantra, the words ingrained in the soul, after years of training, and soon we see Patton, done with the queasiness, the pre-fight nerves, a man with tunnel vision, with one purpose. He walks down the long hallway to the ring, and we hear the crowd roar.

The film cuts to ten years later, and we meet Patton again, now the glory days of MMA fighting apparently behind him, as he is working as a deckhand on a fishing trawler, subject to constant ridicule and bullying from the boat's skipper.

We see on day one, Patton has some level of humanity left when the skipper, played by Nathan Phillips, cheats him on his pay, and the other deckhand, Neal, played by George Burgess, receives even less than him, and so Patton, gives him the difference.

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The new reality that Patton lives is a far cry from his glory days, and still we don't know what happened. We find him seemingly happy, although financially stressed, at home at least with his wife, Luciana, played by Kelly Gale, and daughter, Maddie, played by Sol Nc Carrico.

His brother Malon has picked up the MMA fighting mantel and his pretty good, and we see while Patton has left the ring, he hasn't left the sport, and watches the fights in his man cave garage, away from his wife, who believes he has left the life.

One this night, Malon was injured, after fighter, Xavier Grau, played by Bren Foster, hits him after the ref called the round, and Malon is in a coma. His girlfriend Nadine, played by Saphira Moran, calls Patton and they find he has brain damage. While they are waiting, the Gabriel Stone, played by Luke Hemsworth, Xavier Grau's manager, attempts to lure Patton back into the ring. Soon he is offering sums that will make all the financial problems disappear, and still Patton passes.

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Malon recovers enough to leave the hospital and returns immediately to training. While Grau has been sanctioned for bad sportsmanship, Stone decides to line up an unsanctioned fight between Grau and Malon James. The fight does not end well, and Patton James decides to avenge his brother he will take the fight. Of course, he needs six months to train, and when Stone explains he has seven weeks.

He heads back to the one person; he knows that can get him in shape; Sammy.  This ushers in the remainder of the film, as we finally understand what happened on the night of the fight, a decade earlier, and how one mistake changed the course of two men's lives.

More than a sports comeback film, Beast delivers a strong emotional impact as estrangements, brought on by pride, disappointment and self-incrimination end, and new phases of friendships begin. The film vividly contrast the way of the world, how the vulnerable are exploited and manipulated and on the opposite side when the tables are turned how those in power change.

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The all-star ensemble cast comprised of Daniel MacPherson, Luke Hemsworth, Bren Foster, George Burgess, Mojean Aria, Kelly Gale, Amy Shark, and Saphira Moran, each bring commitment, dedication, and unbridled passion to their performances.

Academy Award winner Russell Crowe delivers a strong performance as a middle aged man and an older man, who allowed uncontrollable circumstances to cripple him, overtaking his focus and vision,

Riveting and gripping, Beast, is both tender and agonizing.

An action-packed against-all-odds comeback drama, Beast opens in UK cinemas, June 1, 2026.  See it.

Country: UK.

Language: English.

Run Time: 97 Minutes,

Director: Tyler Atkins

Producer: David Frigerio, Tim O'Hair, John Schwarz, Michael Schwarz.

Executive Producer: Shane Abbess, Tyler Atkins, Drew Bailey, Barry Brooker, Alicia Brown, Mary Jane Bulseco, Alastair Burlingham, Jimmy Costas, Russell Crowe, Charles Dorfman, Mark Duncan, RuthAnne Frigerio, Arcadiy Golubovich, Andrew Lee, David Lipper, Daneil MacPherson, Myles Nestel, Annette Dominguez O'Hair, Josh Pomeranz, Gary Raskin, Kelly Rogers, Cailah Scobie, Kyle Smithson, Brett Thornquest, Marlon Vogelgesang, Michael Weiss, Stan Wertlieb, Lisa Wilson.

Writers: David Frigerio, Russell Crowe.

Story by: David Frigerio.

Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel MacPherson, Luke Hemsworth, Bren Foster, George Burgess, Mojean Aria, Kelly Gale, Amy Shark, Saphira Moran.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.