On Something Special in Monsters

Hype is an erratic and volatile creature within the film industry. It is mostly created by the producers to sell their film. Sometimes this is done with some creativity and in a way which seems like the hype is generated by the public and therefore more genuine (The Blair Witch Project (1999), Cloverfield (2008)). More often than not the hype is generated by adverts and trailers full of the empty rhetoric that bad film critics live on. It is therefore wise to always approach a film objectively, difficult as that may be. Occasionally the hype is warranted and even more occasionally, the film surpasses the hype. This tends to occur when a film is considered art house and trailers and reviews are aimed at a smaller audience (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Atonement (2007)). With Monsters there didn’t seem time for hype. There was a trailer that misrepresented the film to draw in the audiences and by the time reviews were published the film was due to be released. There was no festival circuit or word of mouth from America. There were simply a few good reviews to suggest this was something more than a monster film.

This is more than a monster film. It is also more than a road movie or a love story, both of which could be its primary genres. Monsters follows a photojournalist and his bosses daughter as they travel through the infected zone during ‘the season’ to get back to America. The season refers to the time of year when the creatures that inhabit the infected zone (giant land octopuses) are more active and therefore travelling through the zone is more dangerous. What follows is a story told with a mix of beautiful documentary style realism and stunning cinematic camerawork all carried by two relatable and engaging characters. This is a film rooted in the tradition of storytelling. The issue of the monsters is inconsequential; they appear infrequently, but appropriately. This is a film propelled by the characters and only progresses organically. The monsters or the threat of the monsters is always present (road signs, children’s cartoons or destruction is shown subtlety to remind us of the change in culture), but we never wait for their appearance or grow restless for action. The relationship between the two characters is so interesting that we are wholly engaged in their lives. This is helped considerably by two brilliant performances from relatively unknown actors.

Subtlety is a key word when discussing Monsters. Much is implied and the payoff is fantastically constructed and rewarding. The performances are as much about what isn’t said than what is and the direction is creative without being flashy. Monsters is one of the highlights of the year and combines science fiction, horror, romance and road movie conventions without putting a foot wrong.