The Monster is a creature horror film about a mother and a daughter who confront a terrifying beast in the woods when their car breaks down on a deserted road.
The movie had a limited run in 18 theaters in 2016, grossing $12,544 in North America, according to Box Office Mojo. It’s rated R for violence and language with an efficient runtime of 91 minutes. It’s available to rent on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and Fandango At Home.
The Monster is a surprisingly emotional film with outstanding performances by Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine. Kazan plays Kathy, a divorced mother with substance abuse and relationship problems, and Ballentine portrays Lizzy, her angry daughter who’s had to grow up too soon.
The Monster is written and directed by Bryan Bertino who also wrote and directed 2008 home invasion horror thriller The Strangers. The plots are similar: Two people in strained relationships are forced to face terrifying antagonists in isolated locations.
The Review
The Monster stands on its own as a suspenseful slow-burn creature feature, but it also works as a powerful allegory for a troubled woman forced to deal with her demons and her shortcomings as a failed mother.
You have Kathy driving down a lonely road (her life) and confronting a monster (her problems) with her daughter Lizzy’s life on the line (motherhood). When Kathy’s car is disabled by a collision with a wolf, it feels like a metaphor for hitting rock bottom, forcing Kathy to finally face her responsibilities as a parent.
I think viewing The Monster through that lens elevated the emotion of the climax and helped me root for Kathy, who’s not a likable character at all. I can’t say enough about Kazan’s performance. She embodies the desperation, exhaustion, and vulnerability of a person beaten down by life, struggling to find a reason to live. When she’s thrust into a terrifying and dangerous situation, Kathy must overcome her personal demons and transform into a fierce lioness to protect her cub. It’s easier said than done.
For her part, Ballentine matches Kazan’s desperation beat for beat as Lizzy. She’s a bitter daughter who’s come to the depressing conclusion that her mother is a lost cause. In fact, Lizzy is on her way to live with her father before the fateful car accident. I think the monster in the woods serves as a symbol for Lizzy, too. Perhaps it’s the innate fear of a child worried about losing her mother.
It helps that Bertino knows how to write and direct the intimate moments between mother and daughter that resonate emotionally. I knew I was going to enjoy The Monster because of the opening scene. It shows a moody slice of Lizzy’s morning, taking care of the housework as her mother sleeps off a bender while a haunting demo version of Roger Miller’s song “A World So Full of Love” plays in the background. That’s probably one of my Top 10 favorite opening scenes ever.
Bertino successfully captures the tension between Kathy and Lizzy with the uncomfortable silence during the drive. When they do talk, the conversations are caustic. When Lizzy seeks comfort in a stuffed animal, Kathy says, “You’re too old for that.” Lizzy replies, “I’m too old for a lot of things.”
Also, Bertino effectively uses brief flashbacks to show heartbreaking moments in the past between Kathy and Lizzy. It heightens the emotion during the present time, for example, when Kathy gives Lizzy a sentimental gift or when Kathy tells Lizzy, “I need you to be brave.”
Not for Everyone
I know this review reads like one for a Lifetime movie, but there are enough scares and suspense to satisfy horror fans, including a final showdown with the monster that doesn’t disappoint.
Ultimately, this is a story of a mother hoping her daughter realizes how much she loves her and a daughter wanting so much to believe it. A final flashback hits particularly hard and left me teary-eyed at the end.
While The Monster is my kind of horror film, judging by the audience score on review site Rotten Tomatoes, it’s not for everyone. The Monster received an 81% approval rating from critics, but only 40% from the audience, which is an unusually large gap. After reading some of the negative audience reviews – and some were harsh – it seems the storyline, slower pacing, and lack of monster action underwhelmed most of the viewers who panned the movie.
The Monster is a prime example of how polarizing horror films can be. Neither side is right or wrong. It’s just personal taste.
The Monster is a well-directed, emotionally resonant, character-driven story about the complicated relationship between a mother and a daughter elevated by the performances of the two lead actresses. After watching it, I felt like that I’d found a diamond in the rough. The Monster may not be groundbreaking or original, but it brazenly wears its heart on its sleeve. It worked for me, and I think it’s one hell of an effective horror movie.
2 Responses
Fantastic review, Lionel! Very insightful. I will be checking this one out!
Thanks, Kevin! I have a soft spot for this one.