The search term surged after the 2023 Goya Awards. The film won nine awards, including Best Actor for Denis Ménochet and Best Supporting Actor for Luis Zahera (a raw, volcanic turn that has become iconic).
But as the film grinds toward its horrific central event—the abduction and murder of Antoine—Sorogoyen flips the script. The real beast, he suggests, might be the land itself. Or perhaps the beast is the desperation of depopulated rural Europe. The villagers are not evil; they are starving. The young have left for the cities. The only currency left is land, and Antoine is a foreigner holding their lottery ticket hostage. as bestas rodrigo sorogoyen
As Bestas asks a brutal question: If someone is starving, how much moral authority does a well-fed person have to tell them they cannot eat? The search term surged after the 2023 Goya Awards