Film Review – BEACON: Demián Bichir and Julia Goldani Telles Carry a Tense Two-Character Thriller [Tribeca 2024]

Beacon Review

Beacon (2024) Film Review from the 23rd Annual Tribeca Film Festival, a movie directed by Roxy Shih, written by Julio Rojas and starring Demián Bichir and Julia Goldani Telles.

Director Roxy Shih’s twisty thriller, Beacon, is an entertaining two-character mystery that is highly watchable despite the fact it manipulates the audience throughout by steering suspicions of its characters in several different directions throughout. This film stars Demián Bichir and Julia Goldani Telles who are two performers who inhabit the characters they portray in the film with a great sense of unpredictability. The movie goes back and forth like a ping-pong match as these two stars keep tensions mounting throughout as one wonders if Bichir’s character is to be trusted and whether or not he is who he says he is.

Telles stars as Emily, an adventurous young woman who ends up being shipwrecked when a storm unexpectedly hits. She’s rescued, so to say, by an older gentleman named Ismael (Demián Bichir) who nurses her back to health. Ismael seems like a good guy. He maintains the lighthouse and when Emily comes to, the pair get to talking and it seems like they get along. Ismael may not be all he appears to be, though, as previously stated. Despite the fact that Ismael tells Emily he has tried to radio for help, something seems off with Ismael’s stories. These tales feel like fabrications of the truth and, soon, Emily suspects that Ismael may have less than noble intentions for her. These thoughts are intensified when she finds a body stacked on some ice but, by then, the movie will have audiences’ minds going in a few different directions regarding what’s to come.

It’s really hard to know if we should trust Ismael. Bichir plays him in such a way that he could be sincere. Also, there are some suspicions that he may be trying to kidnap Emily but why would he do so for reasons other than being a lonely older man? Beacon wisely keeps the tension building at a slow and steady pace as Emily catches Ismael in what seems to be a lie or two here and there. Are these lies innocuous or, perhaps, suggestive of something much more sinister? Telles plays her role so effectively that Emily never really feels like a victim in whatever game that Ismael may be playing. She seems ahead of that game. But, she also knows Ismael is the only one with the power to truly help her get back to safety. But, does he want her to get back to civilization? That’s the question the movie poses.

Emily is not a weak character at all and is more than willing to put up a physical fight with Ismael if one should ensue and, in fact, at least one does happen during the duration of this film’s running time. Director Roxy Shih masterfully builds suspenseful tension throughout. The audience will wonder if Ismael is really radioing the authorities to make them aware of Emily’s whereabouts. But, the movie always is a step ahead of the audience in at least some way, shape or form, not the least of which is the picture’s surprise ending which could leave the viewer with jaw-dropping confusion given the events that preceded it.

Telles’s Emily has lost her dad and is a brave soul. For some moments throughout Beacon, we feel maybe she sees Ismael as a symbol of hope for her but, eventually, the film pulls out all the stops and it all culminates in one of the most prolonged confrontation sequences of the year.

Shih never lets the movie become boring. Beacon never gets to slow down to stop for air. There’s always something interesting happening and that could be one of its few flaws. Though the characters are developed, they are also written to serve the mechanics of the plot more than anything else. Some of the character development feels tailor-fit for the movie’s plot twists. Rather than letting the plot happen organically and believably, some of the plot revelations seem forced. Still, the tension the movie creates is to be commended and the last moments of the picture should leave audiences breathless.

Julia Goldani Telles delivers a no-nonsense performance. Her character has some vulnerability but also possesses a tremendous level of self-awareness. This is not a typical “female in jeopardy” movie role. Emily is a strong, determined character who knows when she’s being lied to. In contrast, the bearded character Bichir plays seems to want to help Emily in certain scenarios. Bichir captures the “worn-down” aspects of Ismael’s life to perfection. Though there are a lot of shocking scenes here, perhaps, the most surprising thing about the movie is how it doesn’t play it safe at the end. In fact, Emily may just sacrifice her own well-being to ensure justice is done regarding what she thinks may be going on in the events that transpire throughout the picture.

In the end, Beacon has some overly familiar elements sprinkled throughout. Ultimately, however, the picture keeps the suspense building which leads audiences to the film’s revealing conclusion. The setting of the picture is confined mostly to one location though there are some parts in the movie where the characters stray from that setting. Of course, the restricted settings of the picture doesn’t let the film reach its full potential. More characters may have helped. Still, Telles and Bichir are in fine form and play their distinct roles with depth and plausibility. It’s a pretty decent thriller, overall.

Rating: 7/10

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