One US journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the 'infected zone' in Mexico to the safety of the US border.
Less can be more in monster movies. In classics such as Jaws, Alien, Predator and, more recently Cloverfield, tension is built by only glimpsing the creature before the final shocking reveal.
However, British writer and director Gareth Edwards may stretch the patience of some monster movie fans before his giant tentacled jelly fish/spider/elephant ETs are finally revealed in all their otherwordly glory. The effects are, despite the movie's low budget, excellent and that is probably because of Edwards' background in special effects and CGI animation.
Set in the near future, the Mexican-American border has become a walled-off infected zone where alien creatures who came to Earth on a Nasa probe have adopted the jungle as their home. Military jets and tanks tackle the creatures' devestating occasional incursions into the human world, captured on grainy longshot video and photos.
The set up, which doesn't stand up to close scrutiny, has a risk-taking news photographer told by his bosses to get the newspaper owner's daughter out of the danger zone and back to the US. When they miss the last ferry, they take the high-risk strategy of going through the infected zone.
What makes Monsters different to the rash of recent fantasy movies using documentary style (Cloverfield, District 9) is that it has an almost 'art house' sensibility. It seems more interested in the relationship between the photographer (who doesn't get to see his young son anymore) and the rich girl (who may be running away from her finace). There is certainly chemistry between the two leads, Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, who have married since they completed the movie.
Tension is built in the background, such as the sight of burnt out tanks and downed fighter jets, chaotic TV footage of an attack and a sombre vigil for the creatures' victims. One can read into the movie allegories for the relationship between America and its poorer neighbours.
As monster movies go, this is unusual because it is a thoughtful slowburner rather than a rollercoaster ride.
First time director Gareth Edwards takes his cues from 'Cloverfield' to present an unusual, well paced and consistently watchable road movie. Set six years after aliens landed on Earth via a crashed NASA probe that accidently released the creatures over South America. Today, the crash site is a large, cordoned off no-go area dubbed 'The Infected Zone': A giant wall keeps the aliens out of Uncle Sam's backyard, as troops battle the squid like sentient beings in a dirty war.
Photo journalist Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to chaperone his bosses' daughter; Sam (Whitney Able), injured in Mexico, back to North America. And so begins a character driven, 'African Queen' style trek through Juárez; as our protagonists bicker, bond, fall in love and are forced to brave 'The Infected Zone' en route to the border.
Credited as writer, director, cameraman, cinematographer and SFX man; Gareth Edwards made his movie for a bargain $800,000 and did the effects on his bedroom laptop! With improvised dialogue and Edwards as an industry factotum to rival Robert Rodriguez, 'Monsters' owes more to the short stories of Stephen King than it does to any standard sci-fi flick.
Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able may never act again, but the real life couple (now husband & wife) have, at least, been a part of something truly memorable; an original and innovative experiment in hi-concept, low budget, quality cinema.
Some may see 'Monsters' an allegorical satire on immigration, better than 'District 9', not as shakily shot as 'Cloverfield' or as downbeat as 'The Road', 'Monsters' subtly examines the anachronistic concept of American exceptionalism whilst making the character's journey as realistic as possible. Short on actual monsters but big on character, scope and ambition. Guerrilla filmmaking at its best.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and grow. In an effort to stem the destruction that resulted, half of Mexico was quarantined as an infected zone. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain the massive creatures... A jaded US journalist (McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to find his boss' daughter, a shaken American tourist (Able) and escort her through the infected zone to the safety of the US border.
Gareth Edwards directs this ultra-low-budget indie sci-fi film. Six years ago, a NASA probe holding samples of alien life crashed over Central America on its return journey to Earth. Soon after, evidence of a new life form appeared and half of Mexico has been quarantined ever since, having being designated an 'infected zone'. Now, cynical American press photographer Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy), who has entered the territory in the hope of capturing the 'monsters' on camera, finds himself escorting his boss's daughter Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) to safety across the US border after she is injured in a monster attack.
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