A 'Game of Thrones' Star's Divisive Thriller Finds Streaming Success Two Years Later

In 2024, Game of Thrones star Kit Harington appeared in a British fantasy thriller that drew worldwide criticism but now appears to have found redemption. Fans may recall that Harington played Jon Snow throughout all eight seasons of the HBO hit, which ran from April 17, 2011, to May 19, 2019.

Unlike in Game of Thrones, this divisive film casts Harington in a darker light, presenting him through his daughter Willow's eyes. After a series of strange events makes 10-year-old Willow question her family's isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, she follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks into the ancient forest. There, she witnesses her father undergo a terrible transformation and becomes ensnared in the dark ancestral secret they have tried so desperately to conceal.

Two years after its release, The Beast Within has found a new audience on HBO Max, where it broke into the global Top 10 earlier this week. It also reached No. 1 in several countries, including Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania and Serbia. Directed by Alexander J. Farrell, who co-wrote the script with Greer Ellison, the horror film draws inspiration from classic horror movies and folklore, blending mystery with psychological terror. Its producers include Merlin Merton, Martin Owen, Karl Hall, Ryan Hamilton and Jack Christian. Alongside Harington, the cast features Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo and Caoilinn Springall.

Fans of 'The Beast Within' Need To Watch These Other Werewolf Films

If you're looking for another thrilling and mysterious movie with bite to watch this weekend, there are also a couple of similar movies to the 2024 film, all perfect for a horror-themed binge. First up is the 97-minute Norwegian film Viking Wolf, released on Netflix in November 2022. In the horror thriller, a 17-year-old girl is bitten by a werewolf and gradually begins to transform, while her police officer mother is too busy dealing with the werewolf's other activities to notice her daughter's condition.

Another great pick similar to The Beast Within is the 2025 werewolf movie Wolf Man, starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. It follows Blake (Abbott), whose marriage is fraying, as he persuades his wife Charlotte (Garner) to take a break from the city and visit his remote childhood home in Oregon, where strange and sinister things happen. One more major recommendation is the upcoming Focus Features horror film Werwulf, directed by Robert Eggers and set to release this Christmas.

The Beast Within streams on HBO Max.