Monsters

Horrorphile

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Monsters

November 23rd 2010 00:19

Before the media screening a few months back I knew next to nothing about this movie. Some guy called Gareth Edwards had directed it, and it was supposedly a hybrid romance-sf-horror. I’d glanced at part of the trailer online and that was it. I came out of the screening on a high, similar to the feeling I’d had coming out of District 9 (2009), not as exhilarated, but more emotionally-charged, and just as impressed. Monsters (2010) is not an action movie, although the thrust of the movie is movement, a journey. It’s not strictly a horror, but it features huge frightening alien creatures and the body count is in the thousands (though only a dozen or so are actually killed during the course of the movie). Monsters is, at its base demographic, a romance for boys, and a monster flick for girls, but even that short-sells the movie. Several other movies come to mind; District 9, Cloverfield (2008), and The Mist (2007). But so what? Watching it still feels like nothing you’ve seen before. Monsters may have its narrative and conceptual limitations, but as pure cinema, it’s awesome.

Scoot McNairy as Kaulder

Like District 9, there is an important back story premise; six years ago NASA sent a probe into the outer reaches of the solar system in search of extra-terrestrial life. Upon re-entry the probe broke up over Mexico (a popular region with aliens) and subsequently half of the country became locked down as an Infected Zone. Alien life forms emerged, and the Mexican and US governments have been struggling to contain the enormous creatures ever since. The best they can do is erect containment walls, provide warning signs, and maintain a vigilant air and ground patrol that involves regular annihilation, which of course causes a fairly significant amount of collateral damage.

Whitney Able as Sam

Scoot McNairy plays Kaulder, a young American photo journalist in Mexico trying to get the scoop of his career; photographing one of the creatures alive. These massive alien beasts look like an octopus on crab legs. They are primarily nocturnal and essentially non-aggressive, unless provoked, which is when they become very dangerous. Of course they’re being aggravated and attacked by humans all the time. Co-existence does not seem to be an option. The creatures have a mating migration season which involves laying eggs among the trees, which then hatch and the younglings retreat to the rivers and sea to grow, and then they return back to land (or something like that). The migration season has arrived early, and Kaulder is given a mission by his magnate boss: to chaperon his daughter, Sam (Whitney Able) safely back to the US. Kaulder has no choice. But fate intervenes, and their ferry option is scuttled. Instead they will have to travel on ground through the dangerous Infected Zone, since there is a no fly zone (apart from jet fighters).

Military propaganda

WARNING! CONTAINS A POSSIBLE SPOILER!

On a basic level Monsters is a Central American travelogue, but a thoroughly enthralling one. It builds as a dramatic thriller and becomes a romance, but for the most part avoids the trappings and clichés of most romantic dramas; they don’t consummate, only sharing a single kiss at movie’s end, she’s engaged to someone else, and he has a kid to someone else. But there is a crucial narrative ploy that poses the possibility of a far more grim outcome. If you pay attention, there is an implicit clue that occurs within the opening military strike sequence and repeated during the movie’s final sequence that suggests Monsters has a tragic twist. Of course, this then lends even more weight to the irony of the movie’s title.

The extraordinary production story of Monsters is what is garnering the movie a huge amount of interest. British filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ background is in digital visual effects and he was one of the first ever students to combine live-action with digital effects. After gaining much kudos (including winning a BAFTA award and being nominated for an Emmy) for his visual effects work he was given the green light to direct his own feature, and the chance finally to make his very own monster movie. He not only wrote and directed Monsters, but he shot it, production designed, and of course, did all the visual effects himself. All for apparently $US15,000!

Sam and Kaulder discover an ancient temple close to the US border

Whether the final budget figure is true will be a major point of contention with critics, since the movie looks like a multi-million dollar picture. It’s beautifully photographed, and the CGI is amazing, at the same utterly convincing level of photo-realism as District 9. I’m not just talking about the alien creatures, since they are a figment of Gareth’s imagination (although they look like an amalgam of two terrestrial aquatic creatures), but the imagery that surrounds the story; the ruined buildings, the government warning signs, the fighter planes and helicopters, the massive wall structures, the derelict boats, trains and trucks thrown into the trees. All of this was digitally created, since Edwards certainly didn’t have the budget to do it for real.

The Wall, close to home

Edwards was armed with a relatively small “off the shelf” Sony EX3 camera, a crew of four and a fixer, and his two actors. They traveled through Central America choosing locations and shooting as they found them (often without permission), using little to no actual screenplay, utilising locals as featured extras (his uncanny knack for selecting real people who appear to be actors is just one of the movie’s many delights). Both McNairy and Able, pretty much unknowns, deliver solid performances (apparently a real couple at the time of shooting), and I enjoyed their characters and natural chemistry immensely; there are some great scenes between them.

An evacuated strike zone past the US border

Monsters revolutionises mainstream movie-making.Paranormal Activity (2007) was a huge independent success story, but the movie looks like what it cost. Monsters was supposedly made for about the same amount, but looks like a movie made on a budget 1000 times that. But not just the production value, Edwards has made an intelligent movie that engages the audience on so many levels. I’m sure Monsters will have its fair share of critics; those who complain the monsters are not shown enough, or will pick apart some of the logistics of Kaulder and Sam’s journey (they seem to survive a few days with minimal water), or question why didn’t they just fly out to another country and then back into the US (I guess Sam’s father wasn’t prepared to wait that long). And of course the comparisons to the aforementioned sf-horror movies will be bantered about endlessly, especially District 9 and Cloverfield. But who really cares?

Sam dons protection

I really appreciated the mood and tone of Monsters, and I particularly liked Jon Hopkins emotive score, of which a certain theme used in several scenes was undeniably moving. Sam and Kaulder's observation of two alien creatures meeting at movie’s end was a powerful, emotionally-charged moment. This is one of my favourite movies of the year, more so because it ultimately may not be the feel-good romance it appears to be; the tragic turn of events bookmarking the movie - something I didn’t pick up on immediately - and I appreciate Edwards for suggesting that darkly poetic path.

I recently interviewed Gareth Edwards in person, click here to read.

Here’s the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

21 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David O'Connell

September 24th 2010 05:48

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Really looking forward to this one Bryn. It actually screened at MIFF and of course I clearly didn't do my research, bypassing it!!

Comment by Bryn

September 24th 2010 07:38

Horrorphile

Well, fingers crossed I haven't over-hyped it. I've got a funny feeling I might be out on my own on this one ... Maybe not. It just felt right, you know? The director is extraordinarily talented.

Comment by JMD

September 25th 2010 01:34

Man I'm am so jealous of you righ now Bryn. I've been impatiently waiting to see this movie. Plus you made my day by saying this is a film with good CGI. Well one more month to wait is not so bad.

Comment by Jason King

September 25th 2010 21:18

Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Soz Bryn - I can't read it until I have seen it - can't believe there was a screening!!! Bad distributor for not inviting me

I am so excited about this film.

Comment by Mountain Fog

September 26th 2010 01:24

Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!

Shades of Paranormal Activity budget/crew/cast wise eh Bryn?

That alone makes me extremely interested in seeing this film, I suspect I may be as im pressed as you were.

Nice review too, although I skipped parts, thanks for the spoiler alert.

cheers

fog

Comment by JohnDoe

September 27th 2010 19:04

Film & TV on DVD

I am counting down with anticipation to this film Bryn,

I didn't read to much of the review for fear of spoilers but the trailer alone has me very intrigued.

Amazing what no budget filmmaking is evolving into.

Comment by Bryn

September 27th 2010 22:30

Horrorphile

JD, yeah there was a warning I put ... I wanted to mention something that came to my attention, but only after the second viewing, and it changed everything.

Comment by ShaunK

September 27th 2010 23:29

Screen Adventure

looking forward to this one - I'm sure it will be great - I actually wasnt even familiar with it untill seeing this post.

Comment by Deni

October 1st 2010 06:50

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

You're spot on with this one. I just saw it recently and I really really liked it.

There's something about it that's special. Very well done.

Comment by Bryn

October 4th 2010 00:32

Horrorphile

Thanks Deni! Yeah, there is something special about this one ... (did you pick up on the same thing I did ...?)

Comment by Deni

October 4th 2010 00:54

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

Bryn, yes I did. It was a really pleasant surprise especially you when you go in assumptions.

There's a lot more that I could say but I don't want to spoil it for others either.

Comment by Bryn

October 4th 2010 03:03

Horrorphile

Of course, feel free to PM ...
Suffice to say, I only picked up on the clue after a second viewing, but still didn't make the correlation until after reading a comment on imdb.

Comment by JMD

October 4th 2010 23:24

Just saw this this weekend and I really enjoyed it. It had a pretty strong ending. reminds me of what I felt towards the end of The Mist. I'm going to try and watch it again to see what I have missed. This movie also has a great soundtrack. I hope it gets a dts track.

Comment by Bryn

October 5th 2010 00:01

Horrorphile

JMD, yeah, love the music. And I need to see the movie again myself, as after two screenings I'm still not certain about the "twist"

Comment by Deni

October 5th 2010 12:50

Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald

Bryn, the Adobe FYI you gave was amazing. The creatures looked great. I just recently finished watching a documentary on H.P. Lovecraft and couldn't help but think that they sort of looked like on of his tentacled creatures.

Comment by Bryn

October 6th 2010 00:32

Horrorphile

Deni, yes I thought as much too, very Lovecraftian!

Comment by somnus

November 23rd 2010 03:06

Something different- i like risk takers even risk takers that fail will stick with you longer than a really good cookie cutter movie.

Comment by Natalina

November 23rd 2010 20:17

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

I cannot recall where I saw the trailer for this, but I remember thinking "I HAVE TO SEE THAT!" And then I forgot about it.

Thanks for reminding me, and for your great review. (Although I skipped the part about a "possible spoiler".)

Soon as I get a chance to see it.. I'll let ya know what I thought.

Comment by Bryn

November 23rd 2010 22:39

Horrorphile

I think you'll love this movie Nat. After you've seen it then you can read the interview I did with the director.

Comment by Jabbasaw

November 26th 2010 11:28

Bryn

So great to see you still going with this blog. I haven't been back for 2 years but was pleased to see you're going stronger than ever.

Broskib