Monsters (2010) ***

 

Unfortunately his screenplay focuses entirely too much time on two boring leads. While it becomes increasingly difficulty to bear with the sub par performances of McNairy and Able. Still, their zero chemistry makes the googly eyes we’re subjected to nothing short of nauseating to watch. It’s clear what Edwards was attempting in order to differentiate from typical genre conventions, but the character arcs are tedious, lacking any real connection for the viewer. It would’ve been much more interesting and natural if these two just got on their nerves the whole time, turning each other off more and more and left it at that. I know desperate times usually draw people closer together but this occurs all too often in cinema. At least the atmosphere they are in is captivating enough to keep us in the film.

It’s easy to appreciate the modest production Edwards works with, but I get the feeling many will not get what they’re expecting. This is a movie that is more about a journey through a danger zone than it is about explosions or conflicts. That’s fine with me, I just wish the two characters were written better, or recast. I really didn’t care that it wasn’t a retread of “Cloverfield” (I actually feared it would be) and I didn’t mind the allegorical look at the today’s current immigration issues.  Yet there’s no denying though that the lack of on-screen ferocity is a bit of a bummer.  

When one thinks monsters one automatically thinks of claws and teeth, that’s not the case here. In fact, you can even propose the question of which race is the monster. I’m not spoiling anything when I describe the aliens as giant-size versions of the Yip-Yip aliens from “Sesame Street”. That being said, I thought the alien designs and depiction was quite original and convincing given what Edwards had to work with.

Edwards adeptly handles his Sony PMW-EX3 HD Video camera, working with a minimal crew and just two professionals actors. All shot on location in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Texas in just over three weeks. That’s some impressive guerilla filmmaking. With that in mind, the humans involved did evoke a convincing degree of believability. Who knows what green screen these actors had to work with but the situations and environment felt real. And regardless of what viewers will think of the monsters, they are expertly executed, solidifying the story’s mystery and suspense.

How “Monsters” does with audiences is anyone’s guess, but I would recommend it as an example of a film that successfully the expectations of  a reported $150,000 budget. It’s definitely for those sci-fans that crave something different. The acting may not be all that, but I would easily revisit this meticulously crafted film just to appreciate seeing how much Edwards does with what little he has.