Review of Monsters (2010) by Halfwelshman — 05 Oct 2011

Monsters is well worth a watch, even if it's more for the remarkable story of its production than for the end product. Made by a first-time director on next to no budget, with minimal crew and two unknown actors, it is incredible that the film has turned out the way it has.

Gareth Edwards, as a visual effects technician, has a keen eye for making things look good - every shot is beautifully framed, and the huge variety of South American landscapes that the characters travel through are used to their full effect.

The monsters themselves are believable enough, but not flawless (not that they could be in such a low-budget film), so it is lucky that most scenes with them on camera are relatively brief. The film works best as a road movie, and it's really about the physical and emotional journey the two characters go through than about the creatures they encounter.

Edwards' use of two unknown actors and unaware bystanders is admirable, and while Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy have great chemistry, it's all too obvious in some scenes that the actors have engaged someone under false pretence to get the desired reaction to use in the film.

The plot does take a little while to get moving, and some sections can drag, but on the whole, Monsters is a wild ride, and a thoroughly enjoyable directorial debut from Edwards.