When I first heard about Gareth Edward's low budget science fiction movie Monsters, I had the feeling it would be very similar to District 9...quarantined, intelligent aliens living next to a major world superpower. But when I got to eventually see the festival darling, what I got was a different kettle of fish. I was bored. Now that might have got to do with the quality of the film's presentation or the fact I was distracted by others in the audience at the time. So given it's mainstream acclaim on its wide release this December, I felt obliged to check it out again.
Unfortunately I was still bored.
That's not to say Monsters has nothing to offer as it has has a great, moody look, an eerie, atmospheric score, a fantastic premise and layers upon layers of subtext. In fact the social commentary is the film's saving grace. If anything it's about communication, or more importantly, the lack of communication between people, parents, nations, cultures and even species....and what devastating effects that can have. There are parallels to the separation of the Israeli and Palestinian states as well as the rising tensions regarding illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States and it also explores the morality of the media during crisis situations.
Where the film falls down is the central relationship between engaged, rich girl Sam and the impatient, cynical photographer, Kaulfield, who's assigned to escort her from central America to the USA, avoiding the alien infected quarantined zone inbetween. It's quite cool that the events in the world reflect their volatile friendship; both characters are so stupid that as a viewer you don't really care if thy hook up or not. Scoot McNairy's Kaulfield is such an archetypal dick that you wish he'd just leave Sam to her own devices.
What you get is a well made, well meaning film with little heart and without a heart, all you're looking at is a carcase for 90 minutes. And where's the fun in that?
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