MONSTERS (2010)

There has been a lot of hype about this film. Since I first heard about it, I've heard people calling it a monster film for girls, or a love story for boys. A thinking man's (or woman for that matter) B-movie. It's also been heralded as the beginning of the future of film making. Gareth Edwards, award-winning special effects man, made this film with 4 people, a relatively cheap camera and a laptop. It is reported to have cost just 500,000 quid to make. As a self-confessed monster film nut, I wasn't going to wait for this one to come out on DVD. Tickets at the lovely Soho Curzon booked.



6 years ago, a space probe crashed back down on to Earth in Mexico, bringing some unwanted visitors with it. These aliens, giant tentacled beasts that look a lot like an octopus, make Mexico their home. The American and Mexican military attempt, but fail, to kill them and have to resign themselves to set up the 'Infected Zone'. A huge chunk across the whole of the continent that has been surrendered. America is protected by a huge wall, the Mexicans have a barbed wire fence. This isn't a spoiler, this is all dealt with before the credits have even rolled (it's even in the trailer) and sets the scene for a very different monster film. Gareth Edwards himself said 'If Cloverfield is Iraq, Monsters is Afghanistan'. The world has come to terms with their existence and is just getting on with life as best as they can with them in the background.

The film centres on two people though, Andrew (Scoot McNairy) and Samantha (Whitney Able). Andrew is a professional photographer on the road, tasked with getting pictures of the devastation caused by the creatures. Andrew's boss orders him to get his daughter, Samantha, safely back to the US of A after she is caught up in an attack by the creatures.

I have included the trailer to this film above, but I think that it is important to say that the trailer isn't a good representation of the actual film. There is very little in the way of action set pieces, so if you are going solely because you like the look of the trailer, you will be in for a surprise. But what a pleasant and thought-provoking surprise.

What follows is a trek across the infected zone where Andrew and Samantha are exposed to the Monsters themselves, but also, more importantly, how the Infected Zone has affected the people of Mexico and the plight of those still living in the zone. Poverty, corruption, disease. This journey means that the film feels more like a study of a war-torn country, destroyed by years of conflict. With the quote mentioned above by Gareth Edwards, it is clear that this idea is the basis for this whole film and is a statement about military intervention.

What he also does admirably well is depict a world that is used to and grown tired of the situation. A great scene involves the two leads turning on the news in a motel room, seeing footage of the creatures under fire from the military. This would be a huge set-piece in most films of this type, but here the characters make small talk as the carnage goes on behind them. They've seen it all before. The viewer also gets to see the creatures straight away. The opening scene puts them right there in front of you. No big reveal at the end like Jaws and Cloverfield. They are just there. These creatures are here and have been for a while. Whats the big deal?

There are some lovely visual touches, all done by Edwards on his lap top. Infected Zone signs are a constant reminder of what is happening. A fighter jet floating along a river, a tanker on top of a mountain, both left to rot. This is a desperate part of the world that has given up.

At the centre of all of this though is a relationship. At the beginning of the film, they share little conversation, but as the film progresses and they near their destination, the experiences inevitably pull them closer together in scenes touchingly played by two unknown actors. It's all very believable though, it never feels as though Edwards is forcing these two together just to progress the story, it feels natural and is never overplayed. It is done so subtly that you don't really know it's happening. It's fantastically handled.

The creatures themselves look fantastic, I need to get my hands on whatever laptop Edwards has been using. The action when it happens is unnerving and jumpy, just as you would expect. It's the final sight of them in the film that deserve the most attention though. Edwards has created one of the most visually beautiful and moving scenes that I can remember seeing in any science-fiction film, swiftly followed by a brilliant human moment that is a lovely finish to the film and is still firmly implanted at the forefront of my memory.

So what we have here, is part war film, part monster movie, part road trip and part love story. There is no other way to explain it I'm afraid. It is not a 'jack of all trades, master of none' situation either. It ticks all the boxes, in all the categories, to the point of excellence.

It also makes you think, in the film the creatures are never called monsters, they never attack unless attacked first. Who are the monsters of the title then.....?

See it.