Monsters

With one of the most misleading titles in recent years, Monsters is not actually a monster movie; it’s a road movie with large aliens in the background. Hardly a criticism, but something that needs explaining for all those hoping for 1950s style alien invasion fun. Here, there is little action, no people being eaten in interesting ways and certainly no crazed scientist. Instead we have something far more interesting – a slow burning character study across a beautiful and desolate landscape.

Taking place six years after extra terrestrials came to earth the films tells the story of a journalist leading his boss’s daughter through the infected zone. A vast section of northern Mexico is overwhelmed by the enormous titular hulking beasts, penned in with the help of the U.S military. The film, though, centres on its protagonists, brought to life by real life couple Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, who gradually come together as they trek through the strange wilderness that has sprung up. Their relationship works wonderfully, handled in way that appears genuinely believable and incredibly naturalistic, which makes sense bearing in mind they are an actual couple who make perfect casting for the retrospective roles. Yet what is so refreshing here is that throughout they lack the glossy Hollywood characteristics and clichés of traditional film couples. The camera remains entirely unobtrusive, as if it were documenting a strange reality rather than creating fiction. This is further developed by the use of only a vague script during production, resulting in fluid and realistic dialogue rather than perfectly crafted conversation that, although tiresome at times, adds to this strangely realistic and believable quality.

Saying this, the real credit for Monsters goes to director Gareth Edwards who provides some truly wonderful visuals, capturing a stunning and haunting landscape that reveals the terrible destruction of an ongoing conflict that the world has ceased to care about. Providing the film’s central thesis is a critique of our ability to look away from the ongoing torments of the world as soon as they cease to fresh and exciting, a message that feels not only well made but timely and deeply relevant. Beyond that are, of course, the Monsters themselves, which are introduced when we see a disastrous encounter with the U.S military at the beginning of the film, providing a real sense of foreboding that lingers throughout. Although they do not appear regularly, the creatures are fascinating and help provide a real sense of focus for the film. The lack of alien action does admittedly make for a slow pace and will alienate some viewers, but the film overall benefits from this, allowing its ideas, message and characters to flourish.

A unique and fascinating work, Monsters is a wildly different beast from anything else released this year. Admittedly, it may move a little slowly and its unscripted dialogue can be more then a little clunky at times, yet its fantastic characters, intelligent and startling visuals and extremely well-used special effects sequences, all add up to something rather wonderful.

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