One of the men involved in the murder of rapper Young Dolph was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after a four-day trial in Memphis, Tenn.

After four hours of deliberation, Justin Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and possession of a handgun by a felon. The judge sentenced him to a life term, according to the Shelby County district attorney. Johnson will be sentenced for the two latter charges in November.

Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr., was shot in November 2021 while inside Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, a popular cookie shop on Airways Boulevard in Memphis.

Johnson’s co-conspirator, Cornelius Smith — who admitted to being one of the gunmen in the killing — testified that he and Johnson were hired to kill Thornton. In return they were to receive $40,000 each, the district attorney said. According to court documents, the man who took out the hit was Anthony Mims, or Big Jook, the brother of Mario Mims, a Memphis rapper known as Yo Gotti who founded the record label Collective Music Group.

Anthony Mims was killed by gunfire outside Perignons Restaurant and Event Center in January, according to Fox 13.

Thornton and Mario Mims had traded diss tracks for a decade after Thornton said he turned down a record deal with the label. Thornton wrote the single “100 Shots” after a targeted attack in 2017 sent about 100 rounds into a bulletproof car he was riding in, USA Today reported — Blac Youngsta, a Gotti associate, surrendered to authorities in 2019 for his alleged involvement in the shooting, although charges were eventually dropped.

Defense attorneys argued Johnson’s DNA was never found in the white Mercedes that was caught on video speeding away from the murder scene, nor were the guns used in the killing recovered. But video shown at the trial by prosecutors showed Johnson at his apartment the night of the murder wearing the same clothes as seen on a suspect at the murder scene. They also had phone records showing he’d been in contact with Big Jook as well as Hernandez Govan, who allegedly orchestrated the killing, prior to and after the shooting. Govan is also a defendant in the case.

“Today’s verdict brings relief and restores my confidence in the justice system,” Mia Jaye, Thornton’s partner, said in a statement on Instagram after the verdict was announced. “My faith has been tested, but Adolph’s tragic execution has only strengthened my resolve to fight for justice — not only for him but for all Black men. This is just the beginning of our journey toward achieving full justice for Adolph, and we will patiently support the unfolding of that process.”

I first saw the trailer for The Beast Within a few months ago and it definitely piqued my interest. A UK set werewolf film with Kit Harington as the wolf? Sign me up! I was recently given the opportunity from Well Go USA to check out The Beast Within. Did it live up to the hype?

Synopsis

After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the heart of the ancient forest. But upon witnessing her father undergo a terrible transformation, she too becomes ensnared by the dark ancestral secret they’ve tried so desperately to conceal.

The Beast Within was directed by documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell in his narrative feature debut. The film was written by Farrell and Greer Ellison. The film stars Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), Ashleigh Cummings (Hounds of Love), Caoilinn Springall (Stopmotion), James Cosmo (The Kindred), Andrei Nova, Adam Basil, Martina McClements (There’s No Such Thing As Zombies), and Ian Giles.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I dove into The Beast Within and discovered the film was from the perspective of the daughter Willow, played by Caoilinn Springall, who I thought was wonderful and creepy as Little Girl in Stopmotion. She gets the opportunity to play a much different role here. Willow is a girl that is sick with an unnamed illness which leaves her short of breath and reliant on oxygen tanks. She lives in isolation near the woods with her parents Noah and Imogen, her sole human contact beside her grandfather her lives in a building next door.

Her father is suffering from an ailments that requires him to be secluded in the woods from his family one day a month in the woods. After following her parents one night she discovers her father’s dark secret and becomes deathly afraid of her father. Springall is perfectly cast as Willow. She is very expressive and is able to capably show the range of what her character is feeling. Kit Harington does a solid job as the father Noah, though we don’t get to see as much of his duality as I would have liked. We are mainly subjected to his dark side and its side effects, only briefly seeing the loving father in him.

Ashley Cummings is great as Willow’s mother Imogen, who is clearly struggling with protecting her daughter and her love for her husband. I loved James Cosmo’s performance as Willow’s grandfather Waylon. You can tell her how much he loves his granddaughter and wants to protect her from her father as well as how strained his relationship with his daughter is due to her relationship with and defense of Noah.

The Beast Within does a good job of building tension, helped greatly by the sense of isolation the characters are subjected to. It feels like the characters are truly alone in their struggle. Willow’s fear that she is like her father is palpable. The mood of the film is very oppressive. The werewolf and gore effects, though we don’t get much, is executed well, particularly a particularly gruesome scene I won’t spoil involving a fingernail. While I enjoyed the majority of The Beast Within immensely, there is a late final act twist that I feel could ruin the enjoyment for some viewers.

Final Thoughts 

The Beast Within is a film that excels at mood and a feeling of dread and isolation bolstered by solid effects and strong performances, thought a final act twist could potentially ruin the film for some viewers. Recommended.