After NASA detects enticing evidence of alien life beneath the icy surface of Jupiter’s ocean moon, Europa, a sample return mission is launched. Several years later, the craft returns, crash landing in Central America. Soon after the impact, strange new lifeforms begin to appear in the area, forcing half of Mexico into quarantine. Six years have passed and now the US and Mexican military forces are struggling to contain the fully-grown alien creatures and to control their seasonal migration within the sprawling infected zone.
In the midst of the chaos is photojournalist Andrew Kaulder (McNairy) who is keeping his fingers crossed for one last money shot of the majestic, but deadly creatures. But his hopes are dashed when his employer asks him to escort his holidaying daughter Sam (Able) through the infected wastelands to the US border.
If you’ve heard anything at all about Monsters, it’ll be of its humble production values. Shot on a paltry budget and using guerrilla filmmaking at its most opportunistic, the fact Monsters succeeds at all serves as great testament to its writer-director, Gareth Edwards. Make no mistake, Monsters avoids the usual spectacle of Hollywood’s biggest creature features, but stands as an impressive endeavour nonetheless, delivering its own breathtaking breed of spectacle.
On the surface, Monsters serves as a typical enough road story with a love story at its heart. The titular monstrous element serves less as a threat and more as a menacing undercurrent, giving the characters time to breathe and allow their blossoming relationship take shape. The action heavy elements you might associate with a classical monster movie are largely absent here, instead replaced with those often unseen, in between moments, where protagonists have time to reflect on their situation, discuss their ominous threat and generally, try and make sense of the harrowing situation around them.
Monsters excels in this respect. Initially inviting campfire discussions quickly transform into unsettling anecdotes, and are occasionally completely disrupted by the arrival of the terrifying alien creatures that stalk the rural surroundings. Ingenious approaches to locations also make for a superior looking film, with the jaw-dropping jungles and riverbanks of Mexico smartly stepping in as the films main locations, leaving a great deal of the devastation implied. Now and again, we are treated to the aftermath of a monster attack, with the real life ruins of hurricanes utilised in an unsettling, but impacting manner.
When the creatures do arrive, we’re treated to teasing glimpses of their fall scale and nature. In long shot, the creatures are almost majestic looking, with some hair raising sound design capping off the spectacle. When our heroes are thrown closer to their alien antagonisers, the quality veers toward shaky, but Edwards understands his limitations and wisely decides to make these close encounters brief and fleeting.
Overall Verdict: An absolute gem, Monsters is one of the best science fiction films in years, packing plenty of fresh angles that other stories simply don’t touch. Held together by a competent pair of leads with real chemistry, and a Jack of all trades director who keeps a firm handle on all counts, Monsters makes for a memorable journey.
Special Features:
Commentary with Cast and Crew
Behind the Scenes
‘Editing Monsters’ Featurette
‘Monsters VFX’ Featurette
‘Factory Farmed’ Short Film
Reviewer: David Steele