Monsters

Directed by: Gareth Edwards
UK release: 03 Dec 2010
US release: 24 Sept 2010 (video on demand)
Starring (voices): Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy



IMDB Page

He said:
One of the biggest advantages moving to the UK has granted me (aside from being closer to my wife.) is the exposure to small independent films such as Monster in cinema. I have enjoyed independent films for a long time and my DVD collection reflects that, but I very rarely get a chance to experience these films in the cinema. More often than not they have a limited release and I have to rely on a renting service in order to enjoy them

Monsters is a very different film than advertised but in the best way imaginable. It is a film about two people trying to make it home in the center of a long gestating alien invasion. Gareth Edwards used every red cent of his 800,000 dollar budget and made good use of it, a lesson that quite a few blockbuster film makers would do quite well to learn.

This is an excellent film that really only suffers from running about 10 minutes longer than necessary, with out giving anything away I can say if the credits would have rolled just ten minutes sooner I would have given it a slightly better score. I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}

She said:

I am always intrigued to see independent films that make it to widespread cinema release and this film was no exception. This film was made with a cast of two people (extras were people who happened to be on location) and an onset crew of two people, with a total budget of $800,000. Considering all this Monsters is an absolutely phenomenal achievement in special and visual effects and film making.

This simple story about two people trying to get home amidst a backdrop of an alien 'occupation' was not as scary as I expected it to be from the trailer and it actually presents much more as a drama. However this wasn't to its detriment at all, in fact I enjoyed the more subtle, political edge to this film. It was interesting that Gareth Edwards chose northern Mexico, for example, as the infected zone made which I felt made a comment on U.S. immigration.

There were things that I wished the film has developed more such as the male lead's occupation as a photographer however there were other parts that I wish they hadn't developed. I think this film would be much better by chopping off the last 20 minutes which to me seemed unnecessary and pandering to a Hollywood audience (perhaps why it reached cinemas in the first place though!)

I really enjoyed this film. The two actors played their parts well considering they could have easily gone down the heavy-breathing Blair Witch snot on the camera style of acting that may have ruined the film. Instead they gave the story realism, which is always an achievement for sci-fi films. Not perfect but definitely worth a watch! I give this film {{{3.5 out of 5}}}

They said:

A great film and we suggest that you search it out if not while it is in cinema or ON Demand you should look for it when it hits DVD. We give it {{{7 out of 10}}}

QUESTION FOR THE COMMENTS: Do you believe in aliens? or Are we alone in the universe?