The Beast

The premise is a militia of unidentified hostiles staging a coup against the United States, with the president forced to fight back using the classified offensive capabilities of his armored limousine, nicknamed The Beast. It is a contained, high-concept hook that fits the Action-Thriller label. The facts give no sign of how deep the plotting goes, so the appeal rests on the novelty of a president hitting back from inside his own car.

Samuel L. Jackson leads as the President of the United States, and Joel Kinnaman plays Agent Taft. Together they set up a protector-and-protected pairing that suits the story. Guy Burnet, Eoin Macken and Colin Morgan round out the cast, but the available facts don't say who they play, so I won't judge their work.

Renny Harlin directs a 99-minute film, a lean runtime that suggests a tight, fast-moving thriller. A single-vehicle, besieged-leader setup rewards clear staging and steady pacing. The facts don't show how well the film manages either, so I'd call the direction promising on paper rather than proven.

Tuomas Kantelinen composes the music. No details about the score or any songs are available, so there is little to assess beyond the credit. A thriller of this kind depends heavily on its score for tension, which makes it worth listening for in theatres.

The central device is an armored limousine with classified offensive capabilities, so vehicle action and effects should matter a great deal. The facts say nothing about how the effects are made or how well they work. I'm keeping this score cautious until viewers can judge the car-centred set pieces.

The target audience is clearly fans of straightforward action-thrillers who like a bold, high-concept premise and a recognisable lead in Samuel L. Jackson. There is no audience score, external rating or box office data yet, and only 6 external votes, so I can't gauge public reaction. Certification is also not listed, so check the rating before taking younger viewers.