Kit Harington Is Starring In A New Horror Werewolf Flick, And The Critics Can't Stop, Won't Stop With The Puns
See what they're saying about the Jon Snow actor's new movie.
A good pun is hard to resist. Hell, the same goes for a bad pun, and I say when the opportunity presents itself, why not lean in hard with the word play? Critics certainly didn’t fight the feeling after viewing Kit Harington’s new werewolf horror movie, The Beast Within, which hit the 2024 movie release calendar on July 26. Opinions of the flick are fairly subdued, with some reviews saying it “unleashes a monster metaphor” and others calling it “all bark and no bite.”
Kit Harington will forever be remembered for the role of Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, but in The Beast Within, he plays the lycanthrope Noah. The story is centered around his 10-year-old daughter Willow (Caoilinn Springall) who comes to discover her father’s secret. The film also stars Ashleigh Cummings as Willow’s mother Imogen and James Cosmo as Ashleigh’s father Waylon. In the first of our punny critics’ reactions, Vikram Murthi of IndieWire gives it a C-, saying the movie “transforms” into a clunky metaphor for domestic violence. The critic writes:
Jordan Mintzer of THR agrees, saying the movie “has more bark than bite.” The critic admits the premise is intriguing but that it doesn’t offer anything actually frightening past a few predictable jumpscares. In Mintzer’s words:
Robert Brian Taylor of Collider doubled up on the puns, also saying The Beast Within is “all bark, no bite,” and calling it “dull-toothed.” Despite a good performance from Ashleigh Cummings, it fails to commit to being either a strong werewolf movie or a compelling family drama stuck in a domestic nightmare. Taylor gives it a 3 out of 10, writing:
Dennis Harvey of Variety, meanwhile, writes that Kit Harington “gets hairy” in the thriller (and apparently naked, as he also does in his new play). The critic says the movie wants to be taken seriously as a domestic psychological drama but lacks the substance to inspire either suspense or empathy. Harvey continues:
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting, however, credits director Alexander J. Farrell, who “unleashes a monster metaphor” with The Beast Within, examining the havoc domestic abuse wreaks on families. Navarro rates it 3 out of 5 skulls, writing:
The movie currently holds a 41% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Check your local theaters to see where to catch The Beast Within if Kit Harington’s new werewolf flick sounds like one you need to see for yourself.
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Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.