Joel Kinnaman is back in action mode, but his latest film is not getting the warm welcome some might have expected. The Beast, an R-rated action thriller directed by Renny Harlin, opened in theaters across the United States on October 9, 2026, and it has quickly become one of the most talked-about releases of the month. The reason? Critics cannot seem to agree on whether it is a fun throwback or a complete misfire. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film debuted with a 53% critics’ score from 17 reviews, alongside a 56% audience score from 50+ verified ratings. That split reception has turned The Beast into a genuine curiosity for moviegoers heading into the weekend.
What The Beast Is Actually About
The premise is simple and high-concept. Samuel L. Jackson plays President Oscar Palladin, a U.S. president who survives a coordinated attack on the government. With his security team wiped out, he is forced to take the wheel of his armored presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast”, and unlock its hidden weapon systems to stay alive. Joel Kinnaman co-stars as Taft, a Secret Service agent who is badly wounded early in the film and spends most of the runtime bleeding out in the back seat.
The entire movie takes place almost entirely inside or around the vehicle as the president drives through a warzone-like city, dodging militia fighters, explosions, and roadblocks. Guy Burnet, Eoin Macken, and Colin Morgan round out the supporting cast. The film runs 1 hour and 39 minutes and is rated R for language, violence, and bloody first aid.
Why Critics Are So Divided
Reviews for The Beast have landed all over the map, which explains the mixed Rotten Tomatoes score. Some critics see it as a lean, old-school action movie that knows exactly what it is. Joblo called it “Renny Harlin’s best film since Deep Blue Sea”, praising the non-stop action and Samuel L. Jackson’s full commitment to the role. UPI described it as “a lean, contained action movie that celebrates cinema legend Samuel L. Jackson”, noting that Harlin makes the single-location setup work.
Other critics were far less impressed. The Hollywood Reporter called it a “deadly combo of silly and tedious”, pointing out that the villains have no clear motivation and the film leans on B-movie tropes without much substance. Variety wrote that the opening minutes are “some of the goofiest we’ve seen on screen in 2026” and said the film “doesn’t get any better from there”, comparing it to a video game with no real sense of geography or stakes.
“It’s really about a President as a human being, in a situation where all the presidential things have been stripped away,” director Renny Harlin told UPI.
Joel Kinnaman Takes a Back Seat This Time
For Joel Kinnaman fans, the film offers a different kind of role. Instead of leading the action, Kinnaman’s Taft is largely sidelined after the opening act. Joblo noted that Kinnaman “really just seems to be there as someone for Jackson to talk to occasionally”, and that his character is shot early and spends most of the movie bleeding out in the back. That choice was intentional, according to Harlin, who wanted to keep the focus on Jackson’s president and the claustrophobic setting inside the car.
Still, Harlin has spoken highly of Kinnaman’s work in the film. In an interview with MovieZine, the director said he believes The Beast could be a career booster for the Swedish actor, adding that “people are going to be stunned” by what he brings to the role.
Samuel L Jackson Reunites With Renny Harlin After 30 Years
The film marks the fourth collaboration between Samuel L. Jackson and Renny Harlin, and their first together since Deep Blue Sea in 1999. Their partnership began with The Long Kiss Goodnight in 1996, a film Jackson has repeatedly called his favorite role. Harlin told UPI that the two made a pact to keep working together after that first film, and The Beast is the result of that long-standing friendship.
Harlin also revealed that the film’s most talked-about moment, where Taft tells the president how much he enjoys hearing him say a certain expletive, was completely improvised on set. “It was a complete improvisation. We did it in one take,” Harlin said.
Box Office and Release Details
The Beast opened in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 9, 2026, distributed by Aura Entertainment, which picked up the domestic rights at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The film is also rolling out in international markets, with a United Kingdom release set for October 9, 2026, and showings in territories including Spain and Malaysia.
For audiences in India, Canada, and Australia, the film is expected to follow a similar theatrical rollout, though exact dates vary by region. Streaming details have not been confirmed yet, but given the film’s R rating and theatrical push, a digital release is likely to arrive in the coming months.
What Fans Are Saying
Social media reactions have been just as split as the critic reviews. Some viewers are embracing the film as a fun, throwback action ride. On Joblo’s comment section and Reddit threads, fans have called it “a generous, loving throwback to high-concept action movies” and praised Jackson’s energy at 77 years old. Others have been more critical, with some pointing out that the film feels like a missed opportunity given the talent involved.
One thing most viewers seem to agree on is that Samuel L. Jackson is having a great time. The New York Times noted that the role “gives Jackson a lot to chew on” and that he “modulates between big and not-so-big with exemplary canniness”.
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Renny Harlin has been open about what he was trying to achieve with The Beast. In an interview with For The Win, he said the film is a return to the kind of mid-budget, star-driven action movies that used to dominate theaters in the 1980s and 1990s. “You could just wait for the action movie of this year from that guy, and it was really enjoyable,” Harlin said. “That doesn’t exist anymore because the studios are investing in IPs and known material and comic book movies”.
Harlin hopes The Beast proves there is still an audience for original action films that do not rely on a pre-existing universe. Whether the film finds that audience will depend on how moviegoers respond in the coming weeks, but the conversation around it is already louder than most October releases.
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