No Beast. So Fierce.

Beginning with all the force of a courtroom gavel, Burhan Qurbani’s fifth feature follows Rashida York (Kenda Hmeidan) as a formidable anti-hero in a world that rarely makes room for women like her in a loose adaptation of The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. A former barrister fighting for control of her family’s criminal empire, she is Richard III reimagined in the gritty underworld of modern-day Berlin – a sharp-minded tactician whose greatest impediment isn’t a physical impairment but her gender. When the protagonist flawlessly defends her brother in court, cutting through legal jargon with precision, her intelligence is undeniable, yet the men from the rival Lancaster gang sneer at her, reducing her power to a mere performance in their eyes. In this Berlin underworld, ruled by bloodlines and patriarchal legacy, Rashida’s brilliance is not enough to win any respect – she must take it.

Qurbani has proven time and again his gift for marrying political subtext with aesthetic bravado, and No Beast. So Fierce. (Kein Tier. So Wild.) is no exception. The opening act is taut and thrilling, an urban Shakespearean tragedy laced with neon-lit grit. The film pulses with a visual energy that recalls Victoria, but with the operatic ambition of The Godfather. Rashida’s rise is meticulously charted, her path strewn with betrayals and strategic alliances. Yet, as compelling as she is, Hmeidan’s portrayal verges on the theatrical – a deliberate choice, but one that doesn’t always sit comfortably within the cinematic frame.

It’s in the second half that No Beast. So Fierce loses its grip, slipping from crime drama into something closer to a stylised stage play. Qurbani leans heavily on movement sequences, especially in Rashida’s dreams, where choreography takes precedence over narrative propulsion. These scenes, while artful, underscore the limitations of translating theatre’s raw physicality to film. Hmeidan’s beast-like snarls and the sheer force of her body language, while striking, feel exaggerated in a medium that requires some subtlety and its Shakespearean heritage, once an asset, begins to weigh it down. The romantic entanglements further complicate matters. Rashida’s relationship with Ghanima (Zarreh Hoshyari Khah), the widow of a slain Lancaster rival, is intended as an echo of Richard III and Lady Anne. Yet, despite its narrative significance, it never fully convinces. Instead, it is her charged dynamic with Elisabet (Verena Altenberger) that crackles with real tension – a missed opportunity, given how much of the story leans into the notion of power and desire.

Ultimately, No Beast. So Fierce. is an ambitious, visually arresting work that ultimately wrestles with the weight of its own theatricality. Qurbani’s vision is clear, and Rashida is a fascinating, timely character. But by the time the credits roll, one can’t help but feel that this fierce beast might have roared louder on stage than on screen.

Christina Yang

No Beast. So Fierce. (Kein Tier. So Wild.) does not have a release date yet.

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