I’ll level with you. Beast isn’t a great movie. Going into it, I didn’t expect it to be. Come on, Idris Elba punches a lion in the face. Yes, it’s a movie, but that’s not even close to realistic.

But, part of the reason I liked the movie is because I know that firsthand. No, I haven’t had hand-to-paw contact with a lion, but I have had the privilege of seeing them up close, as in VERY up close, as in climbing on top of your tiny, little car up close and they are massive and quite terrifying at that range.

In addition, just 2 months ago, I was near the location where the movie was filmed, which made it resonate with me even more.

So, even if the movie itself is a little far-fetched, I’m cutting it some slack because the location and understanding of the story may be a little more real to me than most people and for that I’m very grateful.