Let’s talk about why this film lingers like a bruise. At its core, As Bestas is a simple story: a French couple (Antoine and Olga) have moved to a depopulated village in inland Galicia to live off the land and restore eco-friendly farms. The locals, specifically two brothers (Xan and Lorenzo), want them to sell their land for a lucrative wind turbine project. Antoine refuses.
What follows is a slow-burn campaign of psychological terror that explodes into something primal. Sorogoyen doesn’t rush. He lets the damp air, the barking dogs, and the long silences do the heavy lifting. 1. The Landscape as a Character Most directors use rural settings as postcards. Sorogoyen uses them as a throat. Galicia here is not lush and green—it is wet, dark, and claustrophobic. The forests feel like walls. The night is absolute. You feel the isolation not as peace, but as a trap. as bestas rodrigo sorogoyen
★★★★½ (4.5/5) Where to watch: Available on Amazon Prime / Apple TV (depending on your region). Have you seen it? Did you find yourself sympathizing with Xan at any point? Let me know in the comments—just don’t tell me you’d move to that village. Let’s talk about why this film lingers like a bruise