[Review] Haunting Fragments of The Past Shatter Reality in Monstrous
Content Warning: Supernatural elements with minimal violent encounters occur throughout the film. There are references to domestic abuse, alcoholism, and death. Please take care when watching this movie.
Single mother Laura Butler (Christina Ricci) and her seven-year-old son Cody (Santino Barnard) have settled into their new life in a beautiful farmhouse alongside a picturesque lake. Having escaped Laura’s abusive ex-husband, they try to build their lives again with new friends and a life pocketed away in remote California. While Cody spends his days outside, poking sticks at dirt, Laura works hard at maintaining their perfect home and her lifestyle she is trying to keep up. After setting up their new life, the speckles of reality start to creep through as Laura’s facade is falling to pieces. A supernatural entity, something monstrous has come from the lake to destroy Laura’s peace.
The overall aesthetic of the film is whimsical and poetic with wide angle shots and smokey-esque screens that capture the beautiful set design. The nostalgic atmosphere of the set design of the farmhouse brings to life the 1950’s romanticism of Nissan bluebirds, old time radios, and wallpapers of the time. These elements all set against the mesmerising backdrop of the deep blue and glowing pond behind the Butler’s home. This pond produces the creature that haunts the Butler’s dreams and waking life with supernatural oppression of crackling lights and whispers in the night. Whilst the look of the creature is childlike, the purpose of the monster is unknown, however the actuality of Laura’s situation is heartbreaking when the reveal eventuates⸺the ambiguity of the monster being utilised to perpetuate Laura’s descent.
Ricci has the propensity to carry odd and emotional characters, which is certainly a talent that she brings to the character of Laura. Ricci portrays the domestic perfection that she is trying to uphold through repeating lines from homeware and cleaning product advertisements, reading fashion magazines and watching horror movies on their small retro television. Both Ricci and Barnard maintain their interesting and captivating characters throughout and portray their parts convincingly. Through glances, interactions, and slight cracks in her facade, Ricci keeps the intensity going throughout the film as the reality of the illusion starts to peek through the cracks. Without Ricci’s fantastical and idiosyncratic performance, Monstrous would have needed to make up elsewhere.
Monstrous is a creative and unique dreamlike story that waves a narrative of escape, grief, loss, and love into the pieces as they shatter around Laura and Cody. The main let down of the film is that not all themes and elements explored are tied up and resolved to its full potential. While the incorporation of a creature was impressive in an imaginative way, there were potentially more questions raised about the creature’s how and while assumptions can be made, it took a very conscious effort to connect those dots.
Overall, Monstrous is a thrilling psychological horror that explores deep themes of grief, loss, and heartbreak. The characters make up for the shortfall in connective tissue of the story, making for an easy to watch thriller with Ricci at the helm. It is the performance of Ricci as Laura Butler that makes the story as unconventional as it is, warranting it worth a watch because of that alone.
Pre-orders for Monstrous are now live.
iTunes – Monstrous
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B09SJ6TGFV/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
