- Monsters is one of those films that is disappointing because it could have been, but is not quite, great. As things stand, it's still a pretty impressive contribution to the burgeoning field of indie sci-fi, made even more remarkable by the fact that an individual named Gareth Edwards served as the film's writer, director, art director, visual effects artist, and cinematographer. Taking an idea that sounds vaguely reminiscent of the previous year's District 9, Edwards spins a tale of space aliens that have crash-landed in Mexico as the result of a botched NASA mission sample return. We get the very early impression that these beings are enormous and squid-like, but the film initially takes the Jaws approach, keeping the creatures hidden while focusing primarily on how people react to them.
- The story is told from the points of view of two Americans who find themselves trapped on the Southern side of the "Infected Zone" that stretches a few hundred kilometers across the northern portion of Mexico. Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a professional photographer, is initially touring Central America to capture some potentially valuable pictures of aliens and their victims. Sam (Whitney Able) has been injured in one of the alien attacks, and her wealthy father has conscripted Andrew to escort his daughter home. Sounds easy enough, but two complicating factors arise. The first is transportation. The railroad tracks have been damaged in the recent attacks, and the logistics of escaping over the ocean are compounded by, how shall we say, "economic opportunists." The more serious problem, however, is that Andrew is the most painfully incompetent escort imaginable. In addition to being completely nonfluent in Spanish, he also manages to get both his and Sam's passports stolen by a Mexican grifter. With friends like these, who needs aliens?
- Unfortunately, the only option remaining to Andrew and Sam is to cross the "Infected Region" via rivers and roads. Here, Edwards' cinematography really shines, capturing the stunning Central American landscape in all of its natural (and even some man-made) beauty. While the lush jungle may be visually striking, however, those strange sounds emanating from it are enough to put anyone on edge. In one of the film's best scenes, an unidentified shape is spotted cutting through the water. It turns out to be a downed fighter jet...but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Finally, a particularly devastating night attack deprives Andrew and Sam of their armed escorts. Will they be able to reach and cross the high walls that span the Southern U.S. border, or will Andrew's chaperoning finally prove deadly?
- Regrettably, it is when Andrew and Sam reach the U.S. border that Monsters starts to lose some of its charm. Until that point, the film had been relatively subtle in its political criticism, but things quickly become too heavy-handed when the two protagonists literally discuss what America looks like to the rest of the world. I've always felt that allegory should never feature an exclamation mark. Simultaneously, we start to see just a bit too much of the aliens. When the creatures were inferred from gigantic shadows or distant noises, they were compelling. When they start shoving their tentacles into a well-lit gas station, the limitations of the CGI effects become clear. As it happens, we also discover that the aliens' real purpose on Earth is...to hug. The only thing more disappointing would be if Sam fell in love with Andrew, which also happens. Fortunately, the rescue party's whistling reference to Apocalypse Now tips us off that things are about to get ugly, so maybe she won't be stuck with that loser for too long.
- Apparently, the news scroll on one of the TVs in the film suggests that the aliens came from Europa. They're probably pissed off because Mexico is so hot!
