I hadn’t seen this film since it had DVD back in the day. It seemed everyone I knew was talking about it in the video store, in fact, for a brief moment, it seemed to be everywhere. And now it doesn’t seem to be anywhere.

So I was more than willing and, in fact, delighted to dive into this French language film that tells a fantastic story, has beautiful locations and production design, stunning costumes, an intelligent script, solid action beats, and a really engaging story.

And as an added bonus, the stunning Monica Bellucci. This was the first film I saw her in, and I was sunk.

It’s the 18th century, and the Chevalier de Fronsac, Gregoire (Samuel Le Bihan) and his Native American friend, Mani (Mark Dacascos) have arrived in the Gevaudan province to investigate a rash of deaths, which are purported to be taking place. All of the caused by a wolf-like beast that seems to stalk the land with impunity.

As Gregoire investigates, he also becomes embroiled in the politics and religious struggles of the time. He also still has time to fall in love with Marianne (Emilie Dequenne) and spend time with a high-profile courtesan, Sylvia (Bellucci).

Gregoire and Mani begin to suspect that the beast is no ordinary wolf, in fact it may be no wolf at all, but some strange combination of flesh and steel. Is such a thing possible? No one will be ready for where Gregoire’s hunt takes them and the cost to bring about a just ending.

Vincent Cassel as Jean-Francois, Marianne’s brother is by turns, creepy, charming, and detestable, and Cassel plays it with gusto. In fact, the entire cast seems to be on point in this film, there isn’t a bad performance to be spotted.

The action beats when they happen are violent, fast-paced, and enjoyable, they, like the rest of the film, feature some truly enjoyable camera work bringing this lush-looking film to vibrant life. It’s a stunningly beautiful watch.

I like the fact that the film takes its time with its story, it doesn’t rush anything. The narrative and the characters are given a chance to breathe, and it all benefits the film greatly.

The only downside is that the computer-generated images for some of the beast’s appearances haven’t stood the test of time as well as they could. But the beast’s actual appearances are few, and sometimes we are only afforded glimpses. Consequently, you are never truly ejected from the film by the CGI, but you are aware of it.

Having said that, I loved this rewatch. Hard to believe I hadn’t seen this one in two decades. I may have to remedy that and watch it a bit more often than that. A smart, period film with great action beats, a fun story, and an incredible cast.