Monsters

A sporadically intriguing yet terminally uninvolving failure, Monsters follows two strangers (Scoot McNairy’s Andrew and Whitney Able’s Sam) as they attempt to make their way from South America to the United States – with the relatively simple journey hindered by the presence of terrifying creatures along the way. It’s clear right from the get-go that filmmaker Gareth Edwards is simply not interested in offering up a traditional monster movie, as the film primarily comes off as a subdued drama that just happens to boast occasional appearances by blood-thirsty aliens. It’s subsequently clear that one’s ability to get into the spare storyline is directly related to one’s ability to form an attachment to the two characters, which ultimately proves easier said than done given that Edwards offers little in the way of character development or backstory. The pervasively uneventful atmosphere only grows more and more problematic as time passes, with the inclusion of several seriously tedious interludes – ie Andrew and Sam attempt to negotiate safe passage into the States – ensuring that Monsters inevitably morphs from a relatively watchable piece of work to a dull and flat-out annoying indie drama. Worse than that, however, is the realization that we couldn’t possibly care less whether Andrew and Sam get together at the end, as the performers are unable to transform their respective characters into figures worth caring about (ie Sam is flighty and indecisive and Andrew is headstrong and sleazy; that’s about all we learn about these people). And while Edwards does deserve some credit for seamlessly integrating over-the-top special effects into a Duplass-esque storyline, Monsters is ultimately a failure on each of the various levels that it attempts.

*1/2 out of ****