On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are trekking through Central America soon after aliens—yes, freaking aliens—have inhabited Earth in the 2010 film from Gareth Edwards, Monsters.
Add this one to the list of sci-fi films that are content with not bludgeoning you over the head with their action, effects, or questionable performances. Do you know what the cast and crew of this film said to the prospect of making a film like that? “Ah, hell nah!”
Well, they probably didn’t actually use those exact words, but watch this film and you’ll see that the sentiment is the same. This is one of those thinking person sorts of science fiction films. Take your Close Encounters, your Space Odysseys, your Aliens, both one and kind of two. Stack Monsters up next to those and it’s going to feel right at home. Seriously, I think this one can more than live up to the legacy of those other films.
It employs a very Jaws-like approach: because of its small budget, the filmmakers decide not to show you the titular creatures until the very end. They keep the suspense ratcheted up to a maximum. You’ll wonder just what the hell these people are terrified of and you’ll feel their tension because you have no idea either. And then… Pow! They dazzle you with floating squid creatures from the stars!
It’s an impressive feat to make a film that’s mostly a road trip movie between a pair of people and turn that trope on its head. In fact, it also turns the typical monster movie tropes on their heads, too. We spend most of our time with these two people as they just travel, and it’s captivating.
The actors give performances worth noticing. They take what could have been an underwhelming film—because let’s face it, you really don’t see much of the creatures—and they elevate it with their presence. The director punches way above his weight and does excellent work with the budget he’s procured for the film.
I’d call this a subtle, sleeper sci-fi film. It’s subtle. Stick with it to the end because there’s a lot of surprising developments and emotional storytelling that’ll make you glad you did.
(Recorded on May 17, 2021)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned:
The Cloverfield Paradox - IMDb
