“Behemoth!” premiered at the New York Film Festival, marking Tony Gilroy’s return to feature directing after 14 years, with Pedro Pascal starring as a cellist navigating a fragmented life.
Director Returns After 14 Years, Stars Explore Fragmented Life
Tony Gilroy, known for Michael Clayton
and the Bourne films, directed “Behemoth!”—his first film since 2012’s The Bourne Legacy.
The movie centers on Alex Serian (Pedro Pascal), a gifted cellist whose life is defined by musical excellence and emotional detachment.
Alex’s journey is depicted through non-linear flashbacks, revealing his strained relationships, career as a session musician, and a fractured family history. His father, Peter (Hank Azaria), was a composer for cartoons and television, while his mother, Ginnie (JoBeth Williams), was a successful musician herself. These familial dynamics, though hinted at, remain underexplored in the film, according to critics.
The film’s narrative structure, described as a piece of classical music that’s lost its melody,
interweaves Alex’s present-day work as a session musician with flashbacks to his past. The film’s tonal shifts—from bittersweet yearning to action-comedy—were criticized as whiplash-inducing
by some reviewers.
Pascal’s Role as Cello Player Drawn as Career Highlight
Olivia Wilde’s role as Carol, a wealthy patron, and Eva Victor’s portrayal of Alex’s old flame, Nadia, were also highlighted. Wilde’s character, compared to Glenn Close’s Fatal Attraction
role, adds tension to the narrative, while Victor’s performance underscores the film’s themes of loss and unresolved connections. Will Arnett plays Alex’s brother, Andy, a former rock band member whose brief screen time contrasts with the film’s focus on Pascal’s introspective journey.
Pascal’s preparation for the role involved intensive cello training, with the actor taking the instrument “everywhere” and describing the script as a “puzzle” to solve. The film’s score, featuring 303 AFM musicians in Los Angeles, highlights Pascal’s commitment to the role, with his character’s cello work serving as a central motif.
Score Reflects Collaborative Effort
“Behemoth!” features a unique score composed by nine renowned musicians, including Michael Giacchino and James Newton Howard, who collectively form The Behemoth! Collective.
The film’s music drives its narrative, with each composer contributing to fictional film scores within the story. The score, recorded at major studios like Sony and Fox, was praised for its immersive quality.
The film’s musical structure includes a fictional “Behemoth!” blockbuster score, a requiem for Alex’s daughter, and a 1950s-style song co-written by Gilroy and Emily Bear. The use of music as a narrative device was a standout element, though some critics felt it occasionally overshadowed the film’s emotional depth.
The nine composers, each responsible for a fictional film within the story, faced the challenge of adhering to the Academy’s rule limiting scores to three credited composers, rendering the film likely ineligible for an Oscar. Despite this, the collective effort was lauded for its innovation and depth.
Reactions Split Over Film’s Structure
Reviews for “Behemoth!” were divided. The Guardian called it a film all over the place, flitting from bittersweet yearning to grief drama.
Conversely, The Hollywood Reporter criticized its fussy hopscotching time structure
and “passive” protagonist, though it acknowledged Pascal’s performance as a saving grace.
Some critics found the film’s structure compelling, describing it as a piece of classical music that’s lost its melody.
Others argued that the film’s emotional depth was underdeveloped, leaving Alex’s motivations and relationships feeling unresolved. The film’s focus on introspection and musical storytelling sets it apart, but its fragmented approach has left some audiences and critics divided.
The film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival and its December 4 release date by Searchlight Pictures have generated anticipation. The Newport Beach Film Festival, the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, closed with “Behemoth!” on October 22, with Gilroy in attendance. Last year’s festival closed with Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein,
which starred Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac, and Christoph Waltz.
The film’s narrative complexity and reliance on music as a storytelling device were highlighted by critics. As described in source 8, “Behemoth!” operates as a “portal” to Alex’s memories, with musical cues triggering flashbacks across his life. This approach, while praised for its ambition, was also seen as a barrier to emotional engagement by some reviewers.
Release Follows Trend of Character-Driven Stories
“Behemoth!” was released in theaters on December 4 by Searchlight Pictures, following its world premiere at the New York Film Festival. The film’s release coincided with a trend of character-driven dramas exploring themes of memory and identity, although its unconventional structure distinguished it from mainstream offerings. Gilroy’s previous work, including his Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton
and The Bourne Legacy, provided a contrast to this more introspective project.
The film’s production involved a cast and crew with extensive industry experience, including director and writer Tony Gilroy. The film’s score, featuring nine composers, was recorded at the Sony Pictures Scoring Stage, the Newman Scoring Stage at Fox, and Los Angeles’ EastWest Studios. The use of fictional film scores within the story added a meta-layer to the narrative, with each composer contributing to a distinct cinematic universe.
Despite its critical reception, “Behemoth!” has been positioned as an ambitious artistic choice by Gilroy, who previously created and show-run the Disney+ series Andor
and directed The Bourne Legacy.
It remains unclear whether the film’s unconventional structure will resonate with broader audiences.