Oh, The Beast of Xmoor... you weren't what I thought you'd be, and then you were something even more different. Let me explain - I had assumed we were talking about some sort of Bigfoot thing, or at least a monster. That's just where I automatically go when I hear "Beast" - at least if I'm in an optimistic mood. But not here. Our intrepid documentarians - couple Georgia and Matt - are searching for the Beast of Exmoor. Which apparently a Real Thing in cryptozoology. Most people (if they believe in at all) assume it's a black panther/puma type big cat roaming the hillsides of Exmoor in southwest England. So I guess it's technically a "beast," and I like cryptozoology, so let's go with that. But then, when Georgia and Matt get out to Exmoor woods with Fox, an expert big game hunter they've hired, they stumble across a stash of dead bodies. So they end up dealing with more of a metaphorical beast - a serial killer who uses Exmoor as his dumping grounds.
So there's a little back and forth between our trio - Georgia and Matt want to get out of there and notify the cops, but Fox tries to convince them that they can be heroes if they can capture/kill the serial killer. They've got all of the equipment they need (including a bunch of game cameras to keep an eye on the woods) and a big-ass gun. And if they can document it, all the better. Plus, it's a long hike back, and it could be dangerous terrain to cover at night. Georgia and Matt aren't convinced that it's a good plan, and Matt even thinks Fox might know more about the victims than he's letting on. But luckily/unluckily/conveniently/whatever the serial killer guy happens to be making an appearance tonight. And as you may expect, he's a step ahead of our trio... and havoc ensues.
Xmoor isn't an outright bad film. Once you get past the disappointment of the type of beast they are looking for - and the weird scene where some kids attack Georgia at Fox's house that is never mentioned again - you can kind of get into the story. Fox is a somewhat engaging tough guy presence, and the serial killers MO (he drops them in the woods and then hunts them) is unique enough. So even though the film eventually devolves into one big chase sequence in the woods of Exmoor, it's pretty decently shot and takes advantage of its good looking and inherently creepy location.
But it still ends up being a pretty "meh" watch. I wasn't particularly fond of Georgia or Matt as characters. Matt in particular was pretty annoying the entire film, consistently complaining and being very accusatory towards Fox - he suspects Fox might actually be the killer (although the film doesn't do a great job misdirecting us). And while the chase stuff (i.e. the last half of the film) is competent, it just doesn't have any oomph to it. There's nothing that elevates it to anything more than totally average.
The filmmakers throw in a couple of other characters to try and freshen things up, but they didn't work for me either. One of them is a victim of the beast who isn't dead yet - frustratingly, she just tries to kill our heroes again and again, even though they are trying to help her out. The other character would constitute a spoiler, I guess...
Horror-wise? Pretty average considering the story and set-up. I think Xmoor probably wants to be a little darker than it actually is. Our heroes get pretty beat up over the course of the film, but the wear and tear on them just doesn't seem convincing and is too over the top. (Georgia's outfit in particular is almost comical as to how in-shards it is at the end of the film.) And while you get a little decent gore, the fact of the matter is that you're dealing with a very small pool of potential victims. So it's not a matter of quantity. What you get is fine, but nothing that creative or all that memorable. I guess Fox does get some concussion-like symptoms after getting bonked on the head, which is an interesting angle that I haven't seen before.
The setup is there for some decent stalking - and again, Xmoor does fine in that respect, with lots of running through the woods, hiding behind trees, etc. But once again, it's nothing special. It hits all the beats/spots you expect it too, but just feels strangely unaffecting. It's hard to put your finger on. I'm not sure if it's the fact that you aren't fully invested in the characters, or if the scenes have a been there/done that feel, or if you haven't been adequately introduced to the killer. But it's a bit of a letdown.
You get a couple of unique looks/ideas at the end of the film, but by that point your interest level is waning and you're just waiting for things to be over. It's a case of too little, too late.
Xmoor wasn't awful - it never really drags, but it just didn't engage me in any way. But of course, when you're hoping for Bigfoot and get "average Joe serial killer," that's a lot of disappointment to overcome. The film is fine from a technical standpoint, but it didn't have enough tension/scares/originality to win me over.
I would not recommend this film.
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