Monsters [2010]

I know what you’re thinking: a movie named “Monsters” must contain monsters, and plenty of them. But it’s important to understand that this isn’t your ordinary monster movie. Of course they are present, but we barely get to see them. Yet we feel their presence, each step of the way, as we follow the journey of a US journalist who agrees to escort a shaken tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border. We see evidence of alien life, we hear their horrific sounds, and we see them very unclearly in night vision images and on television. But we don’t get to see a closer look until later in the film. Anyone expecting to see an Alien vs Man showdown will definitely be disappointed. There are few action scenes, and we do get to see the aliens in their glory in the final scenes, but “Monsters” is not another “District 9”. It stands by itself as a different kind of alien invasion story. It’s more about the journey and the study of its two lost souls, as they make their way through harsh terrain with some giant creatures thrown in.

“Monsters” held my attention for almost an hour. I knew right from the start that I was in for a slow ride, but I did enjoy most of it. It was only after the hour mark that I felt that the story was becoming repetitive, and that it wasn’t going anywhere. Yes we get it: the aliens aren’t the bad guys here, and air strike causes collateral damage, and the U.S/Mexican border is such a bad idea. You don’t need a movie to tell you that right?  But as far as independent filmmaking goes, I guess the film showed how it’s done properly, and because of that, I cannot entirely dismiss it. Judge for yourself.

Rating: 2.5/4