Too Many Beasts earned a lot of attention at the Cannes Film Festival this year. It was even selected to be in the Directors Fortnight selection of the festival. This French film directed by Sarah Arnold is a dark comedy where the forest of northeastern France contains many elements of surprise. Too Many Beasts is the type of title that fits with Fantastic Fest. Corruption and animal chaos is what makes the film “fantastic” in a unique way.
There is a form of humility here that gets ravaged with revenge. Too Many Beasts closes in on that theme, but in a way where seriousness and dark comedy combine with one another. It has French citizens, crimes with killing wild boars, and an angry officer trying to keep himself together. Conflicts spiral to brilliant heights in Too Many Beasts.
The film’s main character is Fulda, played by Alexis Manenti. He is an officer that has been demoted for a variety of reasons. His partner is Victor, played by Vincent Dedienne. They both work together to solve cases. For Fulda though, he is required to check in with a station psychologist named Stephane, played by Ella Rumpf. This requirement comes from his past behaviors while on the police force. The issue at hand is that there arebankrupt farmers and wild boars getting killed. Also, rights with licensing over lands come into play. All of this combines tocreate an uncharted territory of many unhappy folks. Fulda is the one trying to piece together the crimes while also navigating his own personal conflicts. Soon though, the issues begin to spiral out of control.
The one man that the town keeps on blaming for everything is Raoul Brun, played by Jean-Louis Coulloc’h. He has done things to hurt people or their property in the past, however, there are other binds associated. These are primarily among those who are hunting throughout the region. The film is a cat-and-mouse game with the police force, hunters, and wild boars. It is insane,vivid, and dark in a funny context. So much goes on that audiences will feel their head spin. The direction of the film has a context for its audience to not know what to believe—this blurred angle of writing is highly entertaining. From twists and turns to dead animals, there are new revelations around every corner in Too Many Beasts.
Even in the film, a character does say, “The problem is there are too many beasts!” That saying portrays a deeper meaning, because throughout the film the wild boars are not the only “beasts” in the town. The ruthlessness is endless, especially with Fulda losing his mind and seeking redemption as an officer. To get the answers he wants, he has to dive deeper no matter what the cost. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Too Many Beasts. A Fantastic Fest sensation.
