Why Critics Are Divided Over Samuel L. Jackson’s The Beast

Some films arrive like a firework: loud, immediate, impossible to ignore. The Beast is precisely that—an in-your-face political actioner that asks to be judged on thrills rather than subtlety.

Directed by Renny Harlin and written by Ameer Alim, the movie lines up a cast meant to sell both pedigree and punch. Samuel L. Jackson plays the President of the United States, and Joel Kinnaman turns up as the agent assigned to his protection. Colin Morgan and Guy Burnet add familiar faces to a roster built to handle high-stakes violence and near-constant tension. If you came for old-school action beats—close-quarters firefights, collapsing set pieces, and a soundtrack that keeps your pulse up—you’ll find them in abundance.

Critics, however, split the bill. Rotten Tomatoes collects 19 reviews and sits at 53% freshness, while Metacritic, with four critics weighed in, lists a score of 47 out of 100. Numbers like that tell you the movie didn’t land cleanly with reviewers: some enjoyed the ride, others counted the bumps on the road.

IGN gave it a solid 70/100, praising The Beast as entertaining and energetic—a modern homage to classic action films with ambitious sequences and a propulsive story. The New York Times, also at 70, highlighted how the role lets Jackson flex his range: he toggles between thunderous outbursts and quieter, more controlled moments, a balance that often keeps the film anchored even when the set pieces threaten to overwhelm.

But not everyone was swayed. The Hollywood Reporter’s take, marked at 50/100, notes Harlin’s comfort with spectacle—there are undeniably accomplished action scenes—yet argues that directorial flair can’t cover for a script that sometimes talks too much and leans toward videogame-like pacing. And RogerEbert.com was less forgiving: a 25/100 verdict that dismisses much of the picture as cartoonish and derivative, suggesting nostalgia for Jackson-Harlin reunions won’t be enough to rescue viewers who want depth alongside the detonations.

So what's the takeaway? The Beast is a machine built for the visceral: fast edits, blunt-force storytelling, and a central star who gives it weight. If you’re scoring films by atmosphere and adrenaline, it may be worth the ticket. If you prefer nuance, you’ll likely walk out wanting more than smoke and mirrors. Either way, it’s hard to leave a movie like this without an opinion—so which side will you land on?