Review of Monsters (2010) by Brett B — 28 Sep 2014

Given its budget, director Gareth Edwards' MONSTERS is kind of a remarkable achievement. The film feels big in scope and completely cinematic, even as its using some cinematic trickery to make it seem bigger than it really is.

It's terrifically shot (by Edwards himself), with a rich look and an engaging usage of the frame; along similar lines, the movie presents a palpable sense of place through its nearly seamless blend of savvy location shooting and digital augmentations and extensions.

The story itself is very much a character piece, chronicling the growing relationship between the two leads against the backdrop of the monster infestation; this is a device which, I think, works well, as it allows the audience to fully invest in the characters (well played by McNairy and Able) while also allowing the times when the monsters do appear to pack the maximum amount of impact.

Indeed, there are a handful of moments involving the titular beasts that are simultaneously eerie, frightening, and awe-inspiring. The digital effects used to bring them to life are not quite as convincing as some of the aforementioned other CGI work in the movie, but the monster effects are good enough to not be distracting.

All that said, MONSTERS is definitely a story about the two leads first and foremost, so those looking for a massive, all-out creature feature opus might be somewhat disappointed (I don't subscribe to that opinion, but I can how some might), but I think somebody who does feel that way would still have to admit that the craft of filmmaking on display is estimable.

Even just on a technical level, it's a really impressive film.