Beast brings back the short, sharp, well-crafted creature feature

polygon.com:

Early in the man-versus-nature horror movie Beast, one of the characters wears a faux-vintage Jurassic Park T-shirt — a choice that scans as clear homage, from one Universal summer nature-from-hell creature feature to another. Beast even features that classic Jurassic movie trope, a pair of siblings struggling to stay out of view as a large animal circles the vehicle where they’re trapped. But in spite of the parallels, in spite of a surprising level of craft for a late-August release in a summer where an actual Jurassic Park sequel got a prime June slot, Beast ultimately isn’t gunning for status as a Jurassic upstart or companion piece. The movie is assured as it stakes out its own smaller territory.

Beast’s most noticeable departure from the Jurassicseries is its intimacy; only four members of the human cast really register as significant. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) is a doctor returning to South Africa for a vacation with his daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) following the death of the girls’ mother, who was separating from Nate when she got sick. They meet up with Uncle Martin (Sharlto Copley), though his title is an honorific; he’s a friend of the family who now works as an “anti-poacher” on an African preserve, protecting lions and other animals. Martin takes them out to see some lions and visit a local village. They find the village has been torn apart, and soon enough, a single vengeful lion is stalking all of them.

Yes, a vengeful lion. As near as Martin can tell, this lion has “gone rogue” (his words) following the death of his pack. Typically, female lions do the hunting and males protect the pride, but this fearsome beast has moved from protection to sheer revenge. (Call him Lion