LOVE & MONSTERS (2020)

 

Directed By: Michael Matthews  Written By: Brian Duffield & Matthew Robinson Story by: Brian Duffield  Cinematography: Lachlan Milne  Editor: Debbie Berman & Nancy Richardson 

Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Ariana Greenblatt, Dan Ewing, Ellen Hellman, Tre Hale, Amali Golden, Pacharo Mzembe, Senie Priti

Seven years after the Monsterpocalypse, Joel Dawson, along with the rest of humanity, has been living underground ever since giant creatures took control of the land. After reconnecting over the radio with his high school girlfriend Aimee. who is now 80 miles away at a coastal colony, Joel begins to fall for her again. As Joel realizes that there's nothing left for him underground, he decides against all logic to venture out to Aimee, despite all the dangerous monsters that stand in his way. 

For a movie that is so brutal and that can feel cruel at times. This film Is surprisingly heartwarming.

Our protagonist is willing to face his greatest fear to try and find and believe with the girl he loves and while on his way picking up things and being taught how to survive and not be afraid.

Whereas by the end the message is to be brave enough to live life and explore and to not be scared and hide at home. Right message, wrong time for the film but maybe a refreshing message eventually for the world.

This film has the world having gone through a post-apocalyptic event and art fighting off natural elements that have been mutated. So that humans are more the rodents to be lived off of.

One of the refreshing things about the movie is that you probably know what is going to happen. Is the twists the films offer to throw you off or give you a different perception rather than the traditional endings and circumstances. 

By the end, the most refreshing thing about this film is that it chooses not to wallow in more the cutthroat everybody for themselves and cynical world view and instead chooses to try to diva on the positive more communal and everyone helping one another in despair. 

Though at times it might remind some audience members of the cult film and book A BOY AND HIS DOG. This film isn’t as satirical or cold-hearted as that story was. 

The characters who are the most endearing are the guides and survivors played by Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt. Who serve as saviors, warriors, comic relief and a kind of family for the main character when he is on his own at first. It’s also nice to see Rooker play more of a good guy for once 

So it’s nice to see a film Of this genre that isn’t so nihilistic and careless when it comes to the characters. It feels more like a breath of fresh air. While clearly being aimed more at teenagers.

Again screenwriter Brian Duffield does it again. Managing to take a genre movie and make it so much more or filling it with characters we believe in and can identify with making the story that much more engaging for the audience. Even if usually more through teenage characters

Grade: B-