- Actors: Zoe Kazan, Ella Ballentine, Scott Speedman, Aaron Douglas
- Director: Bryan Bertino
- Format: NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: R
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- Release Date: January 24, 2017
- Run Time: 91 minutes
Even though this
only the second film directed by Bryan Bertino that I have seen (out of the
three he has made), The Monster
clearly establishes a familiar style from the filmmaker. Like his directorial
debut, The Strangers (2008), there is
more emphasis on the construction of mood and development of characters than
there is on typical horror elements, such as jump scares and gore. Even with a
creature at the center of the storyline, the focus always stays on the
relationships in the narrative. Both films also rely on flashbacks to add
meaning to these relationships, as the drama of the present terror takes hold,
and they both also have the distinct directorial trademark of record players playing
scratchy old music.
In The Strangers, a couple must deal with a
sudden home invasion while attempting to navigate their relationship after a
failed proposal. In The Monster, a
mother and daughter struggle with their complicated relationship as they travel
down a remote country road during a rainy night. As we witness in the opening
sequence and the flashbacks that follow, Kathy (Zoe Kazan) is an unreliable
parent, struggling with alcoholism while forcing Lizzy (Ella Ballentine) to
take on an unfair amount of responsibility as a result. After deciding to live
with her father to escape this cycle, Lizzy is let down by her mother once
again when she sleeps in past their planned time of departure. As a result, the
pair is forced to travel through the rainy woods in the dead of night.
After something
in the road causes them to lose control, Kathy and Lizzy accidentally hit a
wolf in the road, disabling their car in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, the
typical excuses for failed cell phones are never utilized. The battery doesn’t
die and there is plenty of coverage to call for help, but the arrival of a
mechanic and an ambulance only provides additional victims for the creature
that caused the crash. At first Kathy and Lizzy remain unaware of the dangers
lurking in the dark, until the carcass of the wolf suddenly vanishes.
Though it
eventually escalates into a typical creature-feature battle, much of The Monster is a slow burn, building the
character relationships alongside the dread of the unknown. Visions of the
monster are minimized for much of the film, just as visiting aggressors in The Strangers remain a mystery up to the
end. Bertino seems to understand that sometimes less is more, and that the unknown
is often most terrifying. And when the monster is finally revealed in all of
its terrifying glory, the design is unique enough to feel worthy of the delayed
gratification.
As spectacularly
capable as Bertino is of developing suspense around a scenario, building the
conflict as an allegory for the relationship of those involved, The Monster sacrifices a great deal of
logic to make this work. Many of the illogical decisions made by Kathy as a way
for them to survive can be explained away by her poor parenting skills, but
that would defeat the message that Bertino seems to be making. He shows in the
extreme situation that Kathy is ultimately a far better parent than daily
existence of the flashbacks may have suggested, but that doesn’t make the
rashness of her choices in fighting the monster any more frustrating for
audience members rooting for their survival. At times it toes right up to the
edge of feeling manipulative, only saved by the effective performances from the
lead actors. Kazan
effectively plays against type, while Ballentine continues her established
young career, which includes multiple roles of children in distress.
The Blu-ray
release of The Monster includes a
brief featurette in the extras, at just over 7-minutes long. Though this is not
long enough to go into much detail, it does give the audience a closer look at
the creature and how some of the effects were created. There is also a Digital
HD copy of the film, but the Blu-ray is the preferred way of viewing the film.
On top of the effectiveness of the creature in high definition, Bertino film is
full of rich cinematography by Julie Kirkwood.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 4/10
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