source: The Monster

source: The Monster

The Monster (2016) from the same director of The Strangers (2008), my expectations to this film were limited, didn't know what to expect but a scary movie about a monster, fortunately the movie serves way more than this. The movie discusses the relationship between mothers and daughters in a very beautiful way and how strong that bond is even at the worst times, then it uses the horror factor as a metaphor to show the real bond between them, and whatever problems happen between them just fade away when they're about to lose each other, So I thought this was smart and very nicely done. The acting in this film is probably one of the best I have recently seen, I was very attached to the characters and actually cared for them, as for the horror there are some effective jump scares and the mood is very dark the whole movie, also the atmosphere of this film sucks you even though when there isn't a lot going on-screen. In a nutshell, the monster is definitely a great underrated Drama/Horror film that deserves to be watched at least once.

This was a gem of a movie. Lots of people reviewing it will moan about it being slow or boring. It was neither. There was, of course, two monsters in the movie, the toothy one in the woods and the mother. An obvious metaphor but acted out superbly but the two lead actresses. I'm always cautious about child actors but this one was great and one to watch for the future. The cinematography was gorgeous with most of the film happening at night, in torrential rain, the lightning had to be good and it was. I give this a 9 having taken in to account the fact the cast and crew obviously had limited resources. It was a straight 10 until the aerosol business but that's easily overlooked. Gripping, emotional and superb performances, a really solid film!

You really just want to punch these characters in the face more and more as the film progresses. With every new instance of whining, cursing and pointless bickering, you feel the anger and frustration swell inside you. I wanted the monster to eat them and get it over with. I have never seen characters that annoyed me so much and made me hate them. And it took less than 30 minutes for that to happen. It's amazing. Add to that the poorly written dialogue and plot, and you get one difficult movie to endure. Forget the terror coming from the threat the monster poses. The real terror is waiting for the characters' mouths to open, as one anticipates the crap that is about to come out. The characters are so poorly written that they are not even consistent in their annoying behaviour. Oh no. The scared girl who five minutes earlier wouldn't even leave the car suddenly enters the woods for no reason. Then she sees something scary, but still doesn't run back to the car, and instead calls to her mother who (as everyone in the audience knows by now) has no intention of paying attention to her. See, if we know she is not going to answer, but the girl (who, as the first act of the film has established, knows how deranged her mother is better than anyone in the world) acts as though she doesn't, that makes the audience angry and frustrated. Unfortunately, almost every round of dialogue between characters and every action they undertake is at best questionable, if not outright nonsensical. I was screaming by the time the monster made its appearance, but not from terror; I was screaming at the characters, hoping they would die.

Excessive flashbacks, too much screaming...the point was received very early on that their relationship was heavily strained (even BEFORE the actual "monster" encounter) and a monster that literally looked like a man in a black trash bag...The total lack of respect for both leads was way over the top. SPOILERS:Additionally, please explain how the youngest of the protagonists gets the better of the monster, when several adults lack ANY capacity; and they just seem to passively allow the "monster" to maul, rob, and destroy? How does such a huge, clearly other-worldly creature get dispatched by about 2 minutes of fire and exactly 13 stick floggings, 2 of which were half-hearted?

This movie was really disappointing for me. While I did enjoy the first few flashbacks and the general story for about half the film, towards the end it just got annoying and ridiculous. Am I really supposed to believe that the girl who was whiny and cowering for the whole movie suddenly grows into some Mary Sue (TM) hero by the end? And killing the monster with fire in the way it happened is just ridiculously unrealistic, even for a movie like this. It's a shame. There are some things this movie gets right, I particularly liked the acting on the mothers part, even if some of the dialogue was shoddy. The monster design in general was good too and I always appreciate practical effects over CGI. The character of the daughter angered me more and more as the film went on with all her whining and annoying questions, though that is more the fault of the script than the actress, she's actually pretty decent. All in all, very disappointing.

Battling our own fears and weaknesses could be an alternative title to this film. At first the mother seems to be an irresponsible, immature young parent. The child has learned to take care of herself. The acting is extraordinary. The actors excelled in making the audience believe that they were living the story rather than pretending. No matter what the problems in their relationship, as they are depicted through the flashbacks, the bond between mother and her child is and remains till the end very strong. As strong are the mother's addictions, which affect their relationship and their lives. I won't disclose in what way. For me it was an allegory and, in that purpose the director - writer delivered. I recommend it.

I'm a big fan of Bryan Bertino's first feature film "The Strangers", it was a somewhat realistic tense horror film that genuinely creeped me out. Since than Bertino hasn't been up to very much directing wise, in 2014 he released the film "Mockingbird" which was a huge disappointment and received a mostly negative response from fans of the horror genre. Now eight years after his last big hit Bertino gives us "The Monster", which is a super dark and dramatic monster movie that follows the struggling relationship between a young mother and her daughter, and also their encounter with a vicious monster on a desolate road in the woods. The film gets started with a very somber pace, as we are introduced to our two main characters (A young girl named Lizzy and her mother Kathy) it becomes very clear that they have a dysfunctional relationship. Kathy obviously isn't a good mom; she's rude, irresponsible, and she has a drinking problem. This has lead to Kathy deciding Lizzy will most likely be better off living with her father, and this is where we come in on their story. Well into their trip to meet up with Lizzy's father the duo has a car accident leaving them stranded on a road far off from any populated area, and then monster stuff starts to happen. This set up may sound cliché but the film actually does it in a very unique and interesting way. As the film builds up to revealing the monster we are treated to some character development via extremely emotional flashbacks which highlight the big problems in Kathy and Lizzy's relationship. These flashbacks were extremely well done and really did a great job of getting me interested in the characters. The whole pacing of the film was great, and those who enjoy slow burn movies will appreciate it. The film is very character driven and the small assortment of actors really did a great job of capturing that. Ella Ballentine, who plays Lizzie, does an outstanding job of playing a little girl who is desperate and angry for her mother to get her life together. She actually out acted her adult counterpart in the majority of the scenes. Zoe Kazan did a fine job of playing Lizzie's mother Kathy but Ella really stole the spotlight here and really helped to add to the realistic tone of the film. Even the supporting characters with very small roles managed to be believable and played their parts well, something you don't see too often in horror movies. Some of the best acting I've seen in a horror movie since "The Witch". With how well done the characters and the story was it's easy to forget that this is a monster movie, an interesting premise and intriguing characters aren't exactly things you expect when watching a monster flick. But I'm glad the film makers went the route they did with it because it really added to the intensity of the monster once he is revealed. It's not the scariest looking monster, and the effects aren't top notch, but it definitely gets the job done. There were few scenes where the monster came off a little cheap looking, but those scenes were mostly made up for by some very brutal attacks by the monster. There isn't a whole lot of gore or kills, but the few that are featured are pretty vicious. This was a great movie, it's emotional, realistic, and very well acted. Some may find it to be a little slow depending on what they are looking for, it's definitely not your usual fast paced gore fest type monster flick, but it is an extremely engaging dramatic horror flick that some people might really love. 8.5/10

Kathy (Zoe Kazan) is the alcoholic and smoking addicted mother of the young, but mature teenager Lizzy (Ella Ballentine). They live together since Kathy's husband Roy (Scott Speedman) left her, and she neglects her daughter. Kathy is supposed to drive Lizzy to her father's home in the morning, but she sleeps until late afternoon and they have to travel during a rainy night. While driving through a lonely road through the woods, Kathy hits a wolf that breaks her car, leaving them stranded on the empty road. They call 911 and while waiting for the tow truck and an ambulance, the wolf disappears from the road. When the tow truck arrives, the mechanic Jesse (Aaron Douglas) tells that he needs to fix the axle and an oil leakage to tow her car. While repairing the vehicle, a monster attacks him but neither Kathy nor Lizzy note. When they seek Jesse out, they realize that they are not alone in the spot. Further, Kathy learns that monsters do exist. Will they be rescued on time? "The Monster" is an atmospheric, tense and melancholic low-budget horror movie. The dramatic story is supported by top-notch performances of Ella Ballentine and Zoe Kazan and a beautiful and sad cinematography. Scott Speedman participation is limited to a short cameo only to give his name to the credits. The slow-paced plot helps to create the creepy atmosphere and to show the relationship of Kathy and Lizzy. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): Not Available