In Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s film, “As Bestas”, Marina Foïs and Denis Ménochet play a French couple terrorized by their neighbors in a village in Galicia. Terrifying and animal, the thriller stands out as one of the surprises of the summer of 2022.
While they thought they would find a corner of paradise, they will discover Hell. In As Bestas, Rodrigo Sorogoyen is interested in neighborhood disputes. A subject that has already been the subject of several thrillers in the cinema, but the Spanish filmmaker is taking it up a notch. It tells the story of a French couple who came to settle in Galicia to build a haven of peace there. Their life project will come up against the hostility of their neighbours, two brothers, ready to do anything to mark their territory.
As its title suggests, the film explores the bestiality of human beings and comes to reveal what is hidden at its worst. The director, known for his intense style, does not spare the spectators. They are, like the characters, trapped by an invading threat and a creeping terror. crescendo, to the point of switching into pure horror in the style of Sam Peckinpah’s classic, The Straw Dogs, with Dustin Hoffman. To embody the couple, the author of Madre surrounds herself with Marina Foïs – who once again shines in a dark register – and Denis Ménochet.
With his imposing stature, the actor does not correspond, in the first place, to the idea that one could have of a prey. To surprise, it was precisely the desire of Rodrigo Sorogoyen. “When I see actors always doing the same thing, it annoys melaunches the director at the 75th Cannes Film Festival where As Bestas was presented. Denis is a very strong man, it’s true, but there is great sensitivity in his eyes.. “
Lucia Faraig Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Denis Ménochet.
Alongside his compatriot, Denis Ménochet had to learn a new language and compose a very physical role. One of the most striking scenes of the film – which we will be careful not to reveal – even made him feel unwell. “The violence of this fight sequence, bathing naked in an icy lake… It was exhaustinghe recalls. We didn’t have a lot of time so sometimes we only had one take for certain scenes, but how lucky to have such an experience.”
The film was shot in a village in Galicia under extreme temperatures – as hot as freezing. This disturbing decor becomes a character in its own right and contributes to the atmosphere. “In Spain there are many small abandoned villages, it is even a social phenomenonreveals the director. Life disappears, but sometimes two or three families remain in some places. The opportunities are not the same for these people.”
Lucia Faraig
Luis Zahera and Diego Anido in “As Bestas”.
From this isolation is born an animal and devastating anger that Rodrigo Sorogoyen transcribes to perfection on screen with the help of two Spanish actors, Luis Zahera and Diego Anido. The first, who has already worked with the director before, amazes. When the filmmaker is asked what he sees in him that is so terrifying, he replies: “JI can see the madness in his eyes. He has this great ability to go crazy.”
Interview by Thomas Desroches, in Cannes, in May 2022.
As Bestas by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, in theaters July 20, 2022.