The werewolf genre is having a resurgence with many worthwhile entries in the past few years, including The Beast Within, though it’s not as well known as other recent films in the subgenre. Released in January 2025, Leigh Whanell’s Wolf Man is the most high-profile of these werewolf films, but Steven Miller’s Werewolves (2024) and Josh Ruben’s Werewolves Within (2021) are also notable entries that have found pᴀssionate fan bases.
Kit Harington’s 2024 film The Beast Within offers another unique take on the transformation genre. Initially released in limited theaters through Well Go USA, The Beast Within recently became a streaming hit on Hulu. The story follows a 10-year-old girl living in a fortified compound in the English countryside who discovers that her father turns into a monstrous creature once a month. While The Beast Within might sound like the perfect тιтle for the film, it was originally called What Remains Of Us during production.
Why What Remains Of Us Changed тιтles To The Beast Within
The New тιтle Fits The Horror Genre And Story Better Than The Original тιтle
Although no official reason was given for the name change, it was presumably a marketing decision. The Beast Within clearly signals to the audience that the film is a horror story, while also evoking the imagery of classic films about ordinary men slowly transforming into vicious creatures. The movie is a slow-burn-horror-thriller primarily told through the perspective of young Willow, played by Caoilinn Springall, as she uncovers the truth about her father and grapples with his duality: the loving dad by day and a frightening beast at night.
The original тιтle, What Remains of Us is more artistic and captures some of the film’s darker themes, but it doesn’t do much to explain the story. The film builds suspense as the audience waits with anticipation to see if Willow can save her father. However, it ultimately ends on an ambiguous note, making the audience question whether Harington’s character ever actually transformed into a creature. The implication is that the fantasy might have been a coping mechanism for Willow, serving as a metaphor for abuse. Willow questions the dueling sides of her father’s personality and wonders what side truly remains.
There Was Already A Movie Called What Remains Of Us In 2004
The Documentary Explored The Nonviolent Resistance Movement In Tibet
Another possible reason for the film’s name change is that there was already another movie called What Remains of Us, released in 2004. That film was a Canadian documentary in which a woman returns to Tibet to smuggle a message from the Dalai Lama and document the genocide of Tibet by China. It was secretly sH๏τ over the course of eight years without China’s permission.
The documentary was controversial because it showed the faces of Tibetans speaking against the Chinese government and advocating for human rights. It included interviews with the 14th Dalai Lama and premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Regardless of the reason, The Beast Within was ultimately a better тιтle and fits the film perfectly.
