Monsters Review

Release Date Oct. 29

Countless films have seen our planet invaded by aliens and the human race must rally together to stop the invaders from taking over. This film is definitely not that type of alien film, but an engaging road trip love story that is set in an alien inhabited world. It is a great change of pace for an already saturated genre.

In Gareth Edwards’ “Monsters”, 6 years ago NASA sent a probe to collect samples of alien life in our solar system. Upon reentry the probe crash landed over Central America and soon after a new life form began to appear in Mexico. Today, half of Mexico is quarantined as an infected zone and the militaries on both sides of the border struggle to contain the creatures. The film follows Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) a US journalist that agrees to escort his boss’ daughter, Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able), from Mexico through the infected zone into the US.

For this film Gareth Edwards served as writer, director, cinematographer, production designer and created the visual effects for the film on a small budget of under $500,000. Before this film Edwards was a visual effects artist on documentaries and with this film shown his potential outside of effects. The film’s basic premise may sound very similar to “District 9”, also a first time feature director Neil Blomkamp, but “Monsters” shares very little in common with “District 9” even though they are both alien movies.

The aliens that inhabit the infected zone most closely resemble giant colorful squids, but you won’t be able to see them for most of the film until the end. The creatures mostly appear off screen or only with their tentacles on-screen. Despite the title, the film is mostly a love story between the two main characters which the actors make very believable.

Also despite the lower budget the effects are very well done except in a scene reminiscent of Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” where in this film some tentacles are slithering through a gas station after Sam. The film has another scene that reminds of another Spielberg film, “Jurassic Park” that takes place in a truck that is being attacked from the outside by the creatures. The influence of Spielberg is very apparent in the film, but especially in these two scenes.

 
Do not expect a film that is this year’s “District 9” or Cloverfield” even though the marketing team wants you to think of those films. The film is probably most similar to is “Sin Nombre” with Sci-fi elements. Edwards has created a great first feature just don’t believe the marketing this is not the tradition alien film