Unprecedented Realism: Netflix's Upcoming 2022 Survival Movie Electrifies Audiences with a Shockingly Authentic Lion Attack

Summary

Netflix's Beast receives praise from a mountain lion expert for depicting a highly realistic lion attack, but the victim surviving is unrealistic.

The survival thriller is based on the true story of the Tsavo Man-Eaters, lions that brought fear to the workers constructing the Kenya-Ugandan railway in 1898. Although Beast portrays certain realistic aspects of lion behavior, the idea of a lion purposefully hunting and terrorizing humans for amusement is purely fictional and highly improbable.

Netflix's film Beast has received high praise from a renowned expert in mountain lions for its incredibly accurate portrayal of a brutal lion attack. Set in South Africa, the 2022 thriller follows the story of Dr. Nate Samuel (played by Idris Elba), a recently widowed father who embarks on a trip with his two daughters. However, their journey takes a terrifying turn when they become targets of a vicious lion, turning their trip of healing and connection into a fight for survival. While Beast has received mixed critical reviews, with some applauding the suspense and Elba's performance, others have criticized the somewhat implausible plot.

Nevertheless, lion expert Mark Elbroch, in an interview with Insider, praised Beast for its highly accurate depiction of a lion attack. Elbroch, though acknowledging the brutality that made it difficult to watch, likened it to the notorious bear attack scene in Leonardo DiCaprio's film The Revenant. Notably, Beast successfully captured the authentic characteristics of African lions, such as their immense size and the predatory techniques they employ during hunts. The only aspect that fell short of realism was the survival of the victim, as in reality, the attack would likely have been fatal. Below is Elbroch's statement on the matter.

African lions,

Is Beast Based On A True Story?

, are nearly as large as the largest tigers. They have been recorded weighing up to 600 pounds. However, they display a significant difference in size between males and females, known as extreme dimorphism. The males are much larger than the females. When I've encountered a lion in the field, their standing height reaches the level of your chest, which is undeniably intimidating. Watching this is not easy. It reminds me of the bear scene in The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which was intensely brutal and ferocious. This attack is by far the most realistic one we have witnessed. The lion targets the back, often aiming for the spine, just like other big cats when attacking their prey. Moreover, you can observe that the lion bites aggressively, which is something we haven't seen in the other video clips. The numerous claw marks in these clips were mainly for inflicting wounds, but this specific lion exhibits clear signs of going for the kill. This footage is as authentic as it gets. I would rate it a solid eight; however, it loses two points due to the severe impact it would have had on the person at the receiving end. The devastation caused by such an attack would have been lethal.

While Beast captured a highly realistic lion attack, it raises doubts about the overall realism of the movie. The premise of one lion launching an unprovoked attack on a family and then relentlessly pursuing them across different locations seems implausible. It is evident that Beast is not based on a true story, although it drew inspiration from the infamous lion story documented in The Ghost and the Darkness.

Both Beast and The Ghost and the Darkness were influenced by the true account of the Tsavo Man-Eaters. These lions struck fear in the hearts of workers constructing the Kenya-Ugandan railway in 1898. Their peculiar behavior involved stalking the construction zone and treating the workers as their prey. While the exact number of casualties remains a subject of debate, experts estimate that the lions may have killed up to 135 workers before being ultimately eliminated by John Henry Patterson, the leader of the project. The reasons behind the lions' behavior continue to be unclear even to this day.

However, research has found that lions can become "man-eaters" due to factors, such as starvation, lack of food sources, or illness. Given

The concept of a lion actively pursuing and preying on humans may not be entirely far-fetched. However, what makes Beast's account unrealistic is the suggestion that the lion hunts purely for sport, without consuming its prey. Such behavior has never been documented, as even the infamous Tsavo Man-Eaters were known to hunt for sustenance and survival. While Beast does capture some elements of lion behavior and stories of lion attacks accurately, its premise remains fictional and highly improbable in reality.