"Behemoth!" Strikes All The Right Chords at AFI Fest

This year's AFI Fest in downtown Hollywood had some of the most anticipated films on record like Ray Gunn, Wildwood, Wild Horse Nine, and more. One of the hardest tickets to get among the festival's slate was the Behemoth! by Tony Gilroy due to its A-list cast of Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Will Arnett, etc. Anticipated to be one of the drama features of the year and the best lead performance of Pascal's career, did Behemoth! really live up to its titular hype at AFI Fest?

Behemoth!, written and directed by Tony Gilroy, follows professional cellist, Alex Serian (Pascal) and how the past twenty years of his life have culminated into a messy web of both professional and personal situations. It is told in a non-linear structure, jumping back and forth between years of Alex's life, gradually informing the audience of the events that have lead him to the present day. The film had its world premiere at this year's New York Film Festival in Manhattan, quickly becoming one of the most anticipated screenings at the following AFI Fest.

Behemoth! does not have the most compelling storyline, but the way it is structured makes for a truly fascinating piece of cinema. Being a film about music, the script is constructed like a piece of classical music with an absolutely devastating crescendo at the very end. Pedro Pascal brings a real sense of humanity and life to Alex Serian as a character, with his own flaws that make him feel like a real man rather than a work of fiction. An unexpected standout was Olivia Wilde as Alex's terrifying ex-girlfriend, Carol. As unsettling as she's magnetic, audiences will be craving the next time she appears on screen for the whole runtime. Between The Invite, to I Want Your Sex, to now, Behemoth!, it really has been a banner year for Olivia Wilde.

Being a film about music, the standards were set particularly high for Behemoth!'s score, and the team really delivered. The film does not have one traditional composer, instead utilizing the talents of various renowned figures in the world of scoring like Michael Giacchino, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard and others, all making up the titular Behemoth! Collective. Unsurprisingly, the music is one of the film's greatest strengths, diving headfirst into bombastic classical motifs that make the entire atmosphere feel grand and consequential. If this film were to have any chance of award nominations, I would bet on the music.

The production design by Jade Healy is one of Behemoth!'s greatest strengths. Utilizing real studios, concert halls, and theaters, it's easy for the audience to forget that these are actors we're watching and not real music professionals. From the sets to the costumes, everything feels thoroughly fleshed-out.

While the ending is astounding, Behemoth! tends to lose its audience in the middle, tending to feel slightly aimless. However, those who can weather the storm will be treated to an ending that makes it all feel worth it. The best way I can describe it for film fans is a way more lighthearted Tár, although I doubt it will get the Academic acclaim it's aiming for.

While far from the most interesting film at AFI Fest this year, Behemoth! is a worthwhile watch for fans of Pedro Pascal or classical music as a whole. I know I'll definitely be on the lookout for the soundtrack on vinyl when it comes out!