Monsters...

I really do have to give writer/director/cinematographer Gareth Edwards huge props for creating a beautifully shot, intricate film such as this on such a low budget.

Edwards wrote, directed and created all of the special effects for this indie sci-fi outing about a world where a space probe collecting samples of extraterrestrial life breaks apart during reentry over Mexico, resulting in the introduction of alien life on Earth and the quarantining of half of Mexico itself.

Jump ahead six years after that fateful event, and that’s where the main drive of the story lies: in two Americans trying to find their way back home through the infected zone.

And this film really is quite beautiful. The locations and the actors and the framing of the shots really are incredible. Edwards really has an eye for cinematography and the sense of proximity and journeying he creates here really made me feel as though I was alongside the two leads, journeying through the rubble of a place that is becoming more alien with each passing day.

The main characters are likable and much of the supporting cast was drawn from locals, resulting in a kind of authenticity that is hard to come by in cinema today. The special effects are astonishing for a film shot for just about half a million dollars, and though some elements come across as obviously computer generated, they fit into the scope of the situation well enough.

This movie though, is not scary. Or even all that exciting. It’s as much a road movie as it is a love story, and though the love story elements are well done and I found myself caring about the two leads and the journey they are embarking on, I was left wanting more tension, more violence, greater chaos and upheaval.

But that’s just my own sensibilities clouding what is otherwise a very well made and lucid film.

The extraterrestrials here are never all that threatening or frightening, instead they are used more as a catalyst that necessitates the journey through the infected zone that the two leads end up taking.

The aliens are not malicious, they are framed here as wild creatures who have happened upon a world they don’t fit into, which is a very intriguing idea in its own right. Though not really a good fit if you’re looking for a wild or scary ride.

If you are willing to look past that though, there is a great story here with some socio-political commentary thrown in. It also boasts a clever ending that will leave you second guessing what you’ve just seen.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. Though it really isn’t a movie about monsters at all, but about the effect they gave on a world and a people who don’t know what to do with them.

I give this film three out of five bio-luminescent, road wary thumbs up for being so seamless in its execution and doing something different than your average sci-fi film: creating a believable world where the monsters may not be who or what you think they are.

XOXO

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