Written and Directed by Agustina San Martín
Starring Tamara Rocca, Ana Brun, João Miguel, Sabrina Grinchspun and Kaique Jesus
Runtime: 89 minutes
Premieres at TIFF on September 10th

by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

The sensorial drama, To Kill the Beast, the impressive feature directorial debut of Argentine filmmaker Agustina San Martín, exacts a hypnotic pull over viewers. The film is a kind of fever dream, Emilia (Tamara Rocca) travels to her aunt Ines’ (Ana Brun) hostel on the border of Brazil. She is looking for her estranged brother—their mother has just passed—but she is having trouble locating him; he won’t pick up his phone. Meanwhile, there is a “beast” threatening the region. It is said to be the spirit of an evil man that can transform itself into different animals. Ines tells Emilia not to let anyone go into the jungle.

To Kill the Beast is an allegory for Emilia’s loss of innocence. She is met with indifference by her aunt as well as many of the locals she meets on her search. In one odd moment, Emilia encounters a man who does not respond to her queries about her brother except with an intense blank stare. However, Emilia does connect with Julieth (Julieth Micolta), a guest who comes to stay at the hostel. The two young women develop an intimacy, and the sexual tension between them increases, most notably when they stare at each other while dancing. Eventually, Emilia’s burgeoning desires are liberated. Tamara Rocca makes an engaging protagonist, who portrays Emilia’s ripening sexuality with a combination of hesitation and confidence. This coming-of-age story is laden with symbolism, the beast of the title, and the jungle being the most obvious. As to what the animal represents, San Martín hints at the answer but also wisely leaves it up to viewers to interpret.

There is, deliberately, more ambiguity than plot. And despite the dense fog, To Kill the Beast can feel slight—the film runs less than 80 minutes—which may leave viewers wanting more. But San Martín frames every shot artfully. A scene of shirtless youths dancing is as tactile and arresting as pooled water on a floor, or a dirty window. The film’s atmosphere is palpably sweaty, and decaying. (Clocks, lights, and radios are all broken; food is seen rotting). And sometimes images are wonderfully hazy or blurred. The use of light and shadow is often remarkable, from lights piercing through fog to images of flashlights illuminating the jungle that force viewers to scrutinize every frame.

The film’s sound design is equally strong, with whispering voices, gurgling water, or even some electronic music, filling the soundtrack. At times the sounds creating an uneasy feeling.

To Kill the Beast immerses viewers in Emilia’s world, this almost mythical, mystical borderland. It is a threshold, and there is no turning back for the determined Emilia. Viewers who embark on this journey with her will emerge highly satisfied.