Searchlight Pictures' 2026 release Behemoth attempts to blend high-stakes musicality with personal drama, starring Pedro Pascal as a cellist named Alex. Directed by Tony Gilroy, the film features a notable cast including Will Arnett and Olivia Wilde. However, despite its technical merits, the movie reportedly struggles to connect its various emotional beats into a unified story.
The Behemoth Collective's evocative soundscape
The musical identity of Behemoth is anchored by the Behemoth Collective,whose compositions provide a rich, atmospheric backdrop for the film's narrative. As the review notes, the music often communicates more effectively than the spoken dialogue, utilizing seamless transitions where orchestral pieces bleed into subsequent scenes. This technique allows the score to function as a narrative tool rather than mere background noise.
Pascal's performance adds a layer of authenticity to these sequences, as he appears to have put significant effort into mastering the cello. This dedication ensures that the musical elements of the film feel grounded in the reality of Alex's profession, even when the surrounding plot falters.
A missed opportunity compared to Whiplash and Sound of Metal
The film's emphasis on the visceral connection betwen a musician and their instrument places Behemoth in a lineage of intense musical character studies. Films like Whiplash and Sound of Metal have previously set a high bar for exploring how sound and silence shape identity, ambition, and sacrifice. While Behemoth utilizes Pascal's convincing cello playing to establish authenticity, it lacks the driving, singular conflict that defines its predecessors.
An abandoned accident and a hollow funeral
The film's structural issues become apparent through its handling of major plot catalysts, such as the opening accident involving Alex.. While the incident suggests a potential exploration of an artist's physical fragility, the report indicates that the narrative quickly moves past the event without exploring its long-term consequences. Similarly, a death occurring midway through the film fails to trigger the expected emotional response during the subsequent funeral scene.
Disconnected interactions with Will Arnett and Olivia Wilde
The character dynamics in Behemoth often feel like a series of isolated vignettes rather than a building drama. Pedro Pascal’s character, Alex, interacts with a rotating cast including Will Arnett as his brother, Eva Victor as a fellow musician, and Olivia Wilde as a romantic partner he actively avoids. According to the review, these encounters rarely build upon one another, leaving the audience with a collection of conversations that fail to drive the central plot forward.
Why does Alex's avoidance fail to drive the plot?
A significant question remains regarding why Tony Gilroy chose to prioritize atmosphere over narrative momentum. The film presents a protagonist who survives an accident relatively unscathed and avoids his interpersonal conflicts, yet it fails to investigate the psychological weight of this avoidance. It remains unclear if the film intended to be a study of passivity or if the script simply failed to commit to the dramatic stakes it initially promised.
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