Beast is an intriguing and unsettling blend of horror, drama and crime story by debut Writer/Director Michael Pierce. Set on Jersey whilst a serial killer of young girls is on the loose he creates a very real sense of isolation and ambiguity.

Moll (Jessie Buckley) has just turned 27 and when we first meet her it is at her birthday party organised by her overbearing mother Hilary (Geraldine James). When her self absorbed sister Tamara (Emily Taafe) announces that she is pregnant Moll decides to leave and get drunk at the local club, leading to her meeting Pascal (Johnny Flynn), a local with a chequered past. Moll has an animalistic attraction to Pascal and her families distaste for her bad boy boyfriend seems to fuel her passion for him.

None of the characters we meet are without a blemish to their personality. The domineering mother, selfish brother, self obsessed sister or even the police officer whose advances toward Moll come across as slimy. But as we get to know Moll we find out that she is not without blemish either and that perhaps her mother has reason for her attempts at controlling her daughter.

As the net cast by the police seems to get closer and closer to Moll and Pascal there is a very real sense of anything could happen and an ending that perhaps allows for some leeway as to what actually did happen.