La Bête (2023)
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In a future where AI rules, a woman undergoes a DNA purification process to remove her emotions, only to encounter a man who shares her past lives.
The story
In 2044, artificial intelligence has taken over most jobs and deems humans incapable of rational decisions due to their emotions. Gabrielle, seeking a better life, agrees to undergo a DNA purification process to remove her strong emotions. During her journey to the purification center, she meets Louis, another candidate for the treatment. The two are instantly drawn to each other. As Gabrielle begins the process, she is monitored by an android and begins to view memories of her past lives, while navigating a mysterious nightclub that shifts between different decades.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2044, AI rules the world, viewing human emotions as a barrier to rationality. Gabrielle agrees to a DNA purification to remove her emotions and secure a better job. On the way to the clinic, she meets Louis, who is hesitant to undergo the procedure for fear of losing his ability to feel. Gabrielle begins her sessions, viewing past lives: first, a 1910 French life where she was a pianist and Louis was a man she met in Naples; second, a 2014 Los Angeles life where she was a model and Louis was a stalker. In 2044, they meet at a nightclub. Gabrielle eventually undergoes purification, but it fails—a rare occurrence. She finds Louis at the club, where they dance to 'Evergreen.' Louis reveals he has also seen their past lives through purification but now holds a job at the Ministry of Justice, having lost the ability to feel love in the same way. The film ends with a mid-credits scene where a medium calls out to the 2014 version of Gabrielle before a gunshot is heard.
- Original title
- La Bête
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 145
- Production countries
- France; Canada
- Original languages
- French
- Directors
- Bertrand Bonello
- Writers
- Bertrand Bonello · screenplay; Bertrand Bonello · story; Benjamin Charbit · story; Guillaume Bréaud · story
- Cast and characters
- Léa Seydoux · Gabrielle; George MacKay · Louis; Guslagie Malanda · supporting role; Dasha Nekrasova · supporting role; Martin Scali · supporting role; Elina Löwensohn · supporting role; Marta Hoskins · supporting role; Julia Faure · supporting role; Kester Lovelace · supporting role; Félicien Pinot · supporting role; Laurent Lacotte · supporting role
- Genres
- science fiction; romantic drama
- Themes
- dehumanization; memory; artificial intelligence; emotion vs. rationality
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic; sci-fi
- Premise and plot tags
- DNA purification; past lives; androids; AI rule
- Source material / true-story basis
- Henry James's 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 80 and a ranking in the best movies of the 2020s.
- Reported review scores
- AlloCiné · score: 3.7 · scale: 5 · review count: 38
- Production trivia
- The film ends with a QR code instead of closing credits.; The 2014 incel version of Louis was based on Elliot Rodger.; The 1910 segment was re-written to be half in French and half in English after George MacKay was cast.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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