by Shane Conto
Who doesn’t love a fun flick about giant monsters? We have a long history of loving monster movies in our society whether they are classic Universal horror films or Godzilla films. But all of those monsters are fantastical creations from the minds of artists. Just imagine all of the animals in the world were mutated and turned into giant monster versions of themselves. That would be a cool idea for a film, right? Well, the writers of Love and Monsters thought so and now we have a fun film to check out on VOD right now!
We are experiencing different forms of quarantine in the real world, but just imagine experiencing an underground life hiding from monsters. Sounds super fun, right?
Long time star-in-the-making Dylan O’Brien leads the way in this sci-fi-romance as a young man who fears the world but longs for the love of his former crush. The two of them share correspondence over the radio as O’Brien’s Joel lives a modest and lonely life in a bunker with a group of couples. At the core of the film is a love story and plenty of time is spent building this relationship up. Are they the most exciting scenes? No, but they are effective. But when it comes down to it, the “Monsters” half of the title is always more interesting. To be honest, Joel’s journey works so much better when he is evolving and growing on his own instead of building up to becoming a romantic partner. O’Brien is a great lead for this film as he is charming, funny, and delivers some strong emotional moments. There is one particular scene that is sweet and moving as he shares a strange connection with a dying robot. The film actually would have worked better if the story continued with its trajectory to lean away from romantic cliches.
But then of course, you have the monsters.
Some much effort is put into creating crazy mutations of everyday creatures. They are well rendered, well done, and effectively utilized for great tension. The action sequences involving the creatures are exciting and director Michael Matthews really knows how to shoot action. Matthews shows flair with longer takes and capturing the action on camera. The set pieces are well staged and there is a particularly awesome finale with a great creation. You also get a second act centered around Joel meeting up with two survivors on the surface. This section of the film has huge Zombieland vibes as they teach Joel different survival rules. Michael Rooker is the Woody Harrelson of the proceedings (maybe Harrelson was too busy or expensive to get). Rooker is gruff and tough as Rooker does while Ariana Greenblatt is charming and sassy as his daughter. Does this section of the film have too much exposition? Definitely, but it still keeps the fun and thrills coming.
Should you go and drop your $19.99 this weekend to see Love and Monsters?
The film sure delivers on both aspects of its title even if one is more exciting than the other. Dylan O’Brien might have finally gotten that big leading role to propel his adult facing career. Do you like Zombieland? So does this movie! The film really delivers on some great monster action. Yeah it has its obvious flaws including some cliched pointed foreshadowing and exposition. But this film is a great time and if that is worth $19.99 to you, go check this out!
Grade: B+