There’s so much that scares me as a parent of a teenager, much of it coming from the knowledge that this generation of teens is unlike any other. Really, it’s uncharted ground in parenting. In his feature film debut, “Beast Beast,” writer-director Danny Madden captures Gen Z in a compelling, raw form; watching as a parent is both insightful and terrifying.
Though I have some reservations about a choice made towards the end of the film, everything else — from the cast to the documentary-style filmmaking to the varying perspectives of different characters from diverse backgrounds — is ambitious and intriguing.
The film opens with a group of kids in a drama class doing a warm-up exercise. “Beast Beast, ready to act,” they chant as they clap and jump, growing louder and louder by the second. Quickly we’re introduced to Krista (Shirley Chen), an aspiring young actress; Nito (Jose Angeles), the skater and new kid in town; and Adam (Will Madden), the YouTube-ing gun aficionado.
They live in a small, southern town, the kind where everyone knows everyone, where the days are tranquil and lives go on as scheduled. But when night falls, teens will be teens, and they find various forms of amusement and trouble.
Krista is joyful and dreams of being an actress one day. She giggles about the cute new boy at school, eats junk food and talks excitedly about normal teen things with her friends. When she meets Nito, the sparks are instant, and first love develops naturally and quickly. Nito’s home life isn’t necessarily bad, but he’s not inclined to hang around the house. Nito befriends some older kids, who have questionable hobbies but accept Nito as he is, something every teenager craves. Together, Nito and Krista bask in the sweetness of young romance until a tragedy changes their lives forever.