Sunday, November 6, 2016

Monsters (2010) - 6 stars out of 10

Monsters (2010) - 6 stars out of 10

"Monsters" is an alien film that is more about people than it is about aliens.  The film is set against a backdrop of enormous alien beings that inhabit an "infected zone" on the border or Mexico and America, but the focus of the story is the developing relationship between two survivors as they journey to the American border.  There are a few moments of intense alien attacks but the majority of the film is conversational in nature.  The acting of Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able is decent but the unique setting is the real draw for this film.  There is something compelling about this abnormal-yet-not-quite-post-apocalyptic world in Mexico.  The imagery of gas masks, warheads, and giant squid-like aliens is contrasted by the typical lifestyle that the residents of Mexico live as they accept the threat as a part of their reality.  The unanswered questions regarding the aliens are definitely more compelling than the actual plot.  Also, the ending created some compelling questions to be answered by a sequel but Rotten Tomatoes tells me that the sequel missed its mark and is not worth wasting your time.  There are better alien movies and better dramas than “Monsters,” but this film is worth seeing for its creepy imagery and presentation of a world where humans attempt to live with inevitable alien attacks.

[Pictured: The giant alien monster carcasses laying on top of buildings are a bit unnerving]