Don’t you hate it when your boss calls … and you know the only reason he’s calling is to assign you extra work? Scoot McNairy knows exactly how you feel in the 2010 Gareth Edwards film “Monsters”.
After seeing Rogue One and deciding that Gareth Edwards must have some idea about what hes doing; Biscuits and I decided to check out one of his previous movies — Monsters. Oh wait… What? You don’t agree? Hey, at least Gareth’s Godzilla wasn’t that abomination from the new Toho movie. (I’m talking about you, Shin Gojira!) Seriously. That Godzilla is gross. It gets worse every time I look at it.
An invasive alien species
Back to the matter at hand, Six years after a space probe crash landed between Mexico and the United States, the entire region has been contaminated by an invasive alien species. A quarantine zone has been established to contain bizarre and dangerous new forms of life evolving there. Monsters follows Andrew Kaulder (Scoot Mcnairy) a photo-journalist seeking to capture exclusive photos of the creatures. Kaulder is side-tracked from pursuing his story when he is tasked with chaperoning his boss’ daughter Sam Wynden (Whitney Able) back to the United States.
Not an action/horror creature feature
Monsters is not a fast paced action/horror “creature feature” as the title might lead you to believe. Rather, this movie is a more subtle exploration of very human motivations and experiences. Why did Sam run to Mexico when she and her fiancée are planning to a marriage? Why does Andrew submit to the unreasonable demands of his boss? Who are the real monsters people encounter every day? How will these two people change as a result of their shared experience?
Again, “Monsters” isn’t you’re run of the mill creature feature. It’s medium paced with a good narrative about the lives of two people intersecting under extraordinary circumstances. If you’re looking for something low-key this weekend, fire it up on Netflix or Amazon instant video. This movie also gets bonus points for a preview of Trump’s fantasy wall along the US/Mexico border.
Originally Published 15 January 2017