Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020) User Reviews

Nothin new but still a captivating thriller.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

It has good character development but most fellas will compare it with Coen brothers n Tarantino style films.

The length of the film is its biggest problem cos the action n thrill factor is missing. It does gets a lil slow at times but the characters involved me as a viewer.

I wud have rated it an 8 but the lack of suspense n tension, which is a must in these kinda films, prevented me from being generous.

Someone posted the wrong synopsis. Here's mine without spoilers.

A cleaner forced to care for his ailing mother, finds a huge bag of money at his workplace. Unknown to him, the bag has various characters involved. A custom officer in debt, a loan shark, a scammer, an escort with an abusive husband and an illegal immigrant, all these characters cross paths and get themselves into increasingly deeper trouble as they attempt to cheat their way towards the ultimate payout.

People that wear themselves out for nothing -- A great thilller

[BitingMovieJunkie · 8/10 · 3 May 2020]

I have to agree with one previous reviewer: whoever gave this movie just 1 star clearly didn't even watch it.

'Cause, you know, you give one-star reviews to such crap as, I don't know, Look Who's Talking Too, Sausage Party or - to stay with recent releases - Cats or Extraction (aka Tyler Rake). You don't give such god-awful ratings to a movie like this. You may not like it, and that's okay, obviously. But you can't seriously be telling us you consider this one of the worst movies ever made.

Of course it's not perfect, of course it's no masterpiece but c'mon! Given the fact that this is a first-time outing well - it's a pretty damn good one. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that keeps you hooked for the entire running time. It may not be all that original, we can agree on that account, but it anyhow manages to pull off same good scenes and even - to same degree - some interesting points of social satire. What else should we ask for?

The title in itself it's already pretty much revealing as the whole plot centers around a bag full of money and the lenghts the characters involved are able to go to put their hands upon it. They got different reasons and not all of them act out of pure greed. But, in the end, this simple narrative mechanism is perfectly functional to show us the way money controls and directs our lives. The absence of money, of course, but also the excessive amount of it.

As I already mentioned: nothing original in here. But the director has the skills and so he manages to keep us interested. Till a totally sneering conclusion that seems to give us some sort of "cosmic justice" if you pass me the term. Or, most probably, it's just another delusion and the whole bloody affair will repeat itself again and again and happiness will never be reached.

So, yeah, I'll say Beast Clawing at Straws is a solid thriller, tightly written and directed and wonderfully acted (and a special mention, on this regard, goes to Jeon Do-yeon: as soon as she enters the scene well, she just steals the show).

Korean version of ''No country for old men''

[Misss25 · 8/10 · 22 April 2021]

I wont say it a total copy of ''No country for old men'' but it has some similarities. Specially, the money thing and killing every single one in its way .Besides, A lot of changes are made. Truly speaking, I like this one most. This isn't for everyone of course! Who doesn't get dark comedy at all. But for me it is worth watching. At first, I was pretty confused as I wasn't getting what's really going on! I didn't understood those character development and also the plots. After that plot started taking interesting turns as time pased. And I also love the way the director connected all those characters and plots.

A Variation on Gangster Movies I've Seen Before

[thalassafischer · 7/10 · 22 August 2023]

I know this is a sub-genre that some people love and they would split hairs, calling me a killjoy, but to me this is like...Layer Cake? 8 Heads in a Duffle Bag? There are also some South Korean films from about twenty years ago with similar themes, though admittedly the script is original in its character development and fine details. I don't know how people survived all of those head injuries, especially the old grandma. It's a dark comedy, not meant to be realistic, and apparently based upon a novel. The main protagonist any normal person would root for is a clerk at a jjimjilbang, a real working class victim of the system, so I can gladly put this well-written film into the cannon of SK flicks that defend the downtrodden poor.

Idk

[jagodazujovic · 6/10 · 17 April 2020]

I don't know what to say about this movie. Movie definition keeps you watching it. But when it was over it was nothing special to me.

Once it gets going...

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 4 June 2022]

A Korean adaptation of a Japanese novel. This one follows a bag full of cash and how it comes into the lives of various characters and affects them in usually negative ways. The twisty-turny narrative feels fresh and original, although be warned that this takes a long time to get going; it's only in the second half when events turn murderous that it really starts to pick up. The usual impeccable performances and strong production values mark this one out.

Korean movies at it best

[riccy35 · 9/10 · 20 April 2020]

I think the reviews before this did not even watch the movie, or just dont like foreign movies.

If you can appreciate these kind of movies, this one is definitely in the same league as Parasite.

From beginning till end it was exciting and it all comes together the longer it takes, and i dont want to spoil anything.

A bloody good thriller !

A slow starts leads to a frantic ending

[davidallenxyz · 7/10 · 18 January 2024]

"Beasts" is a little confusing at the start. We're shown three people who really need money (a low-income worker with an elderly mother, a young woman who is treated badly by her partner, and a government worker in debt to the underworld). And a bag of money that is there to be had.

But the timelines for these stories are not in sync, and the pacing can be rather slow (although there are still good moments).

The tension starts to build when the young woman is involved in a crime. But the film really comes to life when the woman's boss appears about half way through. She is a devastating femme fatale, played brilliantly by Jeon Do-yeon, and is at the heart of all the the action and intrigue and black comedy that follows as the three storylines are bound together.

Stick with it and you'll be rewarded with a sharp and entertaining finale.

A slow buring thriller that sparks an Aha!

[abidalidossa-77509 · 10/10 · 31 August 2020]

Karma, fate, and a full circle.

While the story breaks up in small parts it ties up so very neatly in the end.

We all like a aha! moment and connecting the story dots which this movies does so well.

In an age where movies do not really suprise you, this one will....

Fun story with interesting figures

[mustafawp · 7/10 · 19 November 2020]

It is a thriller, but you will not feel sorry for any death. The story is not deep, but still satisfying. The problem with this movie is that it is just nice to watch, but it will not give you a feeling or anything. The movie does not create a connection with its viewers. But still, the characters are well-known artists and the cinematography is nice as well, especially when a scene is taking place outside.

A question for the viewers: Is a villa and a mercedes together not worth more than the money in the bag?

Clever show. Concentrate for the first half things come together!

[phd_travel · 9/10 · 31 May 2020]

A bag of money is the center of this crime story. Concentrate on the different characters at first, even if you don't get the connection. It will come together later. And everything does come together in a clever way. There is violence but not as bad as Quentin or Coen Bros. Jung Woo Sung is the big star here and he is good. But it is an ensemble cast the pulls this crime story with a hint of dark comedy together.

Who is the weakest link?

[jamesshi99 · 7/10 · 16 July 2022]

Right from the start, you realize various stories are linked somehow and money is the common bond. Everyone wants this prize and trying to gain upper-hand somehow. The acting is superb and the pace is fast enough to be captivating.

This movie contained enough violence, disgusting human behavior, memorable characters, and selfish human desire to be worthwhile watching.

Boring movie

[mister_bateman · 5/10 · 12 April 2020]

It's a well made movie and certainly doesn't look cheap in terms of cinematography, but I just found it utterly uninteresting. None of the characters are likeable or evoked any sympathy, in fact quite the opposite. So I just ended up not caring at all what was going on. The story is also all over the place and not very believable. It's a mess.

Good thriller korea movie...

[tribeta-10169 · 9/10 · 16 May 2020]

The film's storyline is indeed slow, back and forth, but tense the action of murder so that the audience is not bored, interesting, and full of surprises.

Unique crime thriller

[majgotra · 10/10 · 18 May 2020]

Only Koreans could do it. Such a fresh and authentic story with lots of twist and fun elements too. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know why few have given it less than 7.

I love Korean filmmaking!

[injury-65447 · 8/10 · 6 January 2021]

Definitely a fun movie experience. Could have been better (felt a little derivative at times), but pretty amazing for a directorial debut. Very nice film to look at.

The acting was of a very high level across the entire cast. Interesting ensemble of characters that felt unique and believable.

Wish the runtime was a bit longer so certain characters and certain story elements could be more fully fleshed out. Being based on a book, there was a lot left on the cutting room floor unfortunately.

Mediocre

[xtinajoy · 1/10 · 4 April 2020]

Mediocre plot with the top cast. Pacing was incredibly slow. 5 stars at best.

This is a smart film. It is the director's first feature film.

[beadsmantube · 8/10 · 24 June 2020]

Making money is an absolute element, making a Quentin Tarantino movie clever.

Fantastic.

[jeff-2051 · 9/10 · 30 June 2021]

It's like a well-edited version of a Tarantino film, with the ultra-black humor of Guy Ritchie. Excellent writing, filming, acting, directing and editing. Really can't add anything except to restate that it's fantastic.

A swirling tornado of greed...

[tccandler · 9/10 · 14 November 2020]

This Korean thriller has elements of "Grosse Pointe Blank" and "Bad Times at the El Royale"... stolen money, double-crosses, murder and bloody mayhem. It combines heist thrills with dark humor in a swirling tornado of greed. I had a really good time with this one.

Great. This is why Korean movies are the best

[joaosantos20 · 10/10 · 27 February 2021]

An intelligent dark comedy with a triller side that will keep you glued to your seat. At first it seems like random collection of stories about ordinary people and their lives but it all comes together in the end and it's brilliant.

Awesome

[NajmiSelamat · 9/10 · 26 March 2021]

I don't know what to say but I really love this movie.

Nicely done !!!

[TheDyingGirl · 8/10 · 1 February 2021]

Awesome movie with great twists. I do wonder what the husband will do when the wife shows up with the money considering he almost died because of it the last time !!

Fantastic non-linear screenplay..!!

[kamalbeeee · 9/10 · 29 January 2021]

This is hyperlink movie... Four different type of stories merge together and fits as a single story.. Really amazing story and screenplay... Must watchable movie..!!

A delicious blend of crimes & black comedy....!

[PANDIAN120621 · 8/10 · 29 December 2022]

Starts off slowly in building the characters so do u need some patience for 1st 15 mins but once the characters get connected the plot takes u to a new level of story telling keep u guessed until the end... An outstanding job done at par excellence by the director in casting which travels often twisted and maintaining the suspense at study pace.... Not to specify particular actors overall it's a superb allround performance adding vitality to the plot...surely not everyone's cup of tea but needs a serious attention which can create a addictive web of movie buffs elite list and a definitely falls in top 50 of my movie list... Nothing more to review coz this movie speaks a lot while u watch it.