Old Beast is a quite sinister drama that takes place in the desolate city of Ordos and its immediate surroundings in Inner Mongolia. The story revolves around an aging businessman who has run out of luck and must work as debt collector. He spends his time drinking, gambling and hanging around with former associates and friends. He fails to take care of his sick wife and flirts with a young prostitute instead who plans on leaving the autonomous region. When his wife collapses during one of his prolonged absences from home, his children and their families bring her to a hospital and try to collect some money to pay for an expensive operation that could improve her serious medical condition. The reckless elder however steals a part of the sum and uses it for his own purposes which leads to a psychological and physical clash with his family members. Rejected, isolated and ashamed, the old beast tries to come clean and organizes some changes in his life.
There are several elements that make Old Beast at least partially interesting to watch. The desolate grey buildings in the steppe go along with the aging and disillusioned main character who faces the consequences of a slow economic decline after years of prosperity. The movie has a constantly depressing atmosphere and almost feels like a documentary criticizing greed and its consequences in the contemporary Chinese society. The lead character who is brilliantly played by Tu Men represents the flaws of prosperity perfectly but it's fascinating to see his moral values recover throughout the film.
However, the movie is quite hard to sit through despite its honorable intentions. The plot could be summarized in a few sentences and feels plodding and stretched. Aside some appropriate social criticism, the movie doesn't have much to offer. Several scenes feel dull and pointless when we observe the main character lying in a small bed in a cheap hotel for a few moments, when we see him sitting on the ground in the streets for several minutes or when we watch him prepare some medicine for his wife for a prolonged period of time. The side characters seem intriguing at first contact but aren't fully developed as the movie almost exclusively focuses on the main character. This risky approach certainly is a missed occasion. The movie feels dull, predictable and repetitive after a while. The movie's main idea to criticize the consequences of greed certainly goes along with the agenda of the Communist Party of China which makes this movie feel like a clumsy propaganda film to a certain degree.
In the end, you could appreciate Old Beast if you like moralizing dramas with depressing atmosphere and a dose of social criticism. Old Beast has an intriguing purpose and a few positive elements like the great acting performances, the precise cinematography and the desolate settings. However, the movie rarely entertains. It feels dull, predictable and stretched. If you aren't a fan of gloomy dramas, you should stay away from this difficult movie.
