The Beast Must Die
Director: Paul Annett
Actors: Calvin Lockhart, Peter Cushing, Marlene Clark
PlotA wealthy big game hunter, Tom Newcliffe, convinced that one of his weekend guests is a werewolf, has meticulously prepared his remote high-tech English mansion for a hunt like no other. He has installed a vast array of surveillance cameras and set up traps throughout the estate with the help of a security expert. His select group of guests includes a pianist with mysterious habits, an archaeologist who has a peculiar interest in lycanthropes, a diplomat, a wealthy playboy, and the inscrutable artist wife of Newcliffe. All have murky pasts that could hide the savage secret he’s determined to unearth. As the full moon approaches, an air of uneasy anticipation settles over the mansion.
The tension rises when it becomes apparent that the werewolf is indeed among the guests as strange events and signs of a lurking beast emerge with the coming night. Each individual’s history and behavior come under scrutiny, leading to a series of confrontations and growing paranoia. Newcliffe orchestrates a dangerous game of cat and mouse, leveraging his technological edge to identify and ultimately confront the monster. The guests are forced to adhere to Newcliffe’s twisted rules while they wrestle with the likelihood that any of them could be the creature terrorizing the group, raising the question of who will survive the ordeal of the hunt before the beast's identity is finally revealed.
Writers: Michael Winder, Paul Annett, James Blish
Release Date: 01 Apr 1974
Runtime: 93 min
Rating: PG
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Home Video Reviews
The Beast Must Die intrigues with genre-blending, but falls into B-grade due to inconsistent screenplay and poor restoration.
Read our review of The Beast Must Die Blu-ray to find out more