The Monster

The Monster proves that monster horror is not a dead genre and that it is still a genre with something to offer. The film makes good use of the nighttime atmosphere, and utilizes tension and escalation well, all while being set in a very limited space. In addition, a very pleasant heroine, which I didn't expect, but Zoe Kazan handled her role excellently. We need more monster movies like this. (08/08/2017)

The trailer suggests a typical scary genre film, but the reality is different. In monster horror, the monsters are usually the focus of the action, while the surrounding characters and the relationships between them are just colorless gravy. But here, the dramatic relationship between believably portrayed and convincingly acted characters is at the forefront, and the horror storyline plays out only in the background. The monster (purely anonymous – we don't know who it is or where it came from) merely reflects the troubled relationship between an alcoholic mother and her troubled teenage daughter, and serves purely as a catalyst for both characters to realize how they feel about each other. And while the development of the relationship of the main characters works just fine, their reactions to the events around them are a bit dodgy. A monster that can be fought off with a mere flashlight tries to lure the attention in an unnecessarily complicated manner only to undergo the desired emotional development. Thus, the horror line itself doesn't feel very convincing, lacking an idea, more tension and logic. Still, the film maintains a decent atmosphere throughout. Moreover, old-fashioned horror fans will be pleased by the comeback of the “guy in the rubber suit” (meaning no CGI), which adds to the film's authenticity in places, but only when the monster is only seen in glimpses; when they show it more, it's noticeably rubbery. And it looks pretty old-school (kind of like the horned dog Sigourney Weaver turns into in Ghostbusters). (12/11/2016)