The Beast

Howard and Elizabeth Griffin share a romantic night aboard a yacht near Grave's Point. A freak accident sinks the vessel, forcing them into a lifeboat. Hours later, they are attacked and eaten by an unseen creature.

Whip Dalton and his first mate Mike Newcombe discover the empty lifeboat with a large claw still attached. They send the claw to a university for analysis. This clue marks the first physical link to the predator stalking Grave's Point.

Marine biologist Dr. Herbert Talley and assistant Christopher Lane receive the claw and travel to Grave's Point to investigate. They contend it comes from the tentacle of a giant squid. Their discovery launches a scientific chase rather than an immediate hunt.

The squid's attacks kill more around Grave's Point, prompting authorities to act. Local leaders decide to remove the threat despite the dangers. Harbour master Schuyler Graves and Jamison hire Lucas Coven to hunt the squid, ignoring warnings to leave it alone.

Lucas Coven succeeds in killing a squid and the carcass is sold to Sea Land Texas owner Osborne Manning. Graves and the others celebrate what they believe is a victory, thinking the danger has been contained. The threat, however, remains offshore.

Unmanned sonar detects a second, much larger squid offshore, but the islanders remain unaware of the impending danger. The detection hints at a far more dangerous predator looming beyond sight. The stage is set for a deadlier encounter.

With access denied to the live squid, Talley arranges a submersible expedition to study its habitat. The team dives to observe the creature in its environment, hoping to learn its behavior. The mission marks a shift from hunting to scientific observation.

Scientists analyze the dead squid carcass and determine it is a three-month-old baby about 37 feet long. The mother squid then attacks the submersible, killing Jamison and Christopher. The revelation that the mother's vengeance drives the attacks raises the stakes.

Whip blames Graves for the mounting deaths and the cover-up. Graves uses blackmail to force Lucas Coven to resume the hunt for the adult squid, despite the warning that the creature acts out of vengeance. Lucas reluctantly agrees to continue.

Lucas, Mike, and Scranton resume the hunt, braving a storm. The squid attacks their boat, devouring Scranton and drowning Lucas. Whip and Mike survive, the danger intensifying as the predator remains at large.

Whip agrees to track the squid again, insisting on using his own boat. He is joined by Graves, Talley, Manning, and Coast Guard Lt. Kathryn Marcus. They draft a plan to snare the creature, reel it in, and shoot it with cyanide darts.

Manning admits he loaded the darts with tranquilizer to capture the squid alive for Sea Land. Graves tries to escape on a lifeboat as Whip releases the squid just as it wakes. The predator resumes its attack, turning the plan into a fatal crisis.

The squid kills Graves, then attacks Whip's boat, killing Manning and grabbing Talley before a Coast Guard helicopter arrives to extract Kathryn and Whip. The crew fights for survival as the threat closes in.

Whip uses fuel drums and a flare gun to set his boat on fire, trapping the squid and preventing escape. The Coast Guard helicopter arrives to lift Kathryn and Whip to safety, and the creature is killed by the explosion.

Whip and Kathryn are flown back to shore and reunite with Whip's daughter Dana. The island settles into a fragile calm as survivors begin to recover and rebuild after the harrowing ordeal.