Monsters Review

With a title like Monsters one would be forgiven for expecting writer/director Gareth Edwards' feature film to be an over the top ode to the classic creature flick of yesteryear. Oh, how wrong one would be.

via bscreview.com

Instead, Edwards' and company have delivered something far greater, a science fiction film that dares to take the action slowly. Set in modern times, the film takes place in an alternate universe in which giant extraterrestrial life forms have inhabited Central America for years. Since humanity has been unable to rid the region of these beings, the local governments have created an "infected zone", spreading from Costa Rica to a giant wall surrounding the United States, which is shut down from human travel every year while the creatures mate. The action of the film is generated by Andrew Kaulder, a photojournalist who must help get his bosses' adult daughter safely to the United States before she is stuck in the infected area. At first, the characters seem somewhat stiff and unbelievable but as their relationship of necessity advances, the actors settle into an enjoyable groove, and actually generate some excellent chemistry. This relationship is enhanced greatly by Edwards pronounced understanding of tone and rhythm. Rather than continuously bashing our heads in with perfunctory bedlam and noise, Edwards taunts the audience with it's alien creatures. By doing so, the movie allows the viewer to become attached to the two main protagonists while at the same time building eerie tension. In this way, when the monsters do appear it seems exciting and horrifying all at once. It should be noted that Edwards, who did all of the special effects work himself, doesn't not fall into the trap of overusing CGI, but instead chooses to use this digital wizardry to create a natural and realistic visual portrait. As a cautionary note, some viewers may be frustrated by the film's ending (I thought it was fantastic) but even still I believe the merits of the film outweigh any ill-spirit generated by the conclusion. Overall the film is an interesting mix of Jurassic Park, District Nine, and Before Sunset, that results in a memorable indie sci-fi journey. Thankfully, this is one picture where the human spirit is not overshadowed by the titular monsters.   

Grade: B+

If you're interested in the film already, then skip the trailer, it gives away little too much away for my taste, but if you need to see more, or just don't mind seeing things ahead of time then check the video below.

 

 Dan