Love and Monsters

Holy cow, this one snuck up on me.

I sat down expecting a straight monster flick. What I got was a comedy wearing a monster movie's clothes, and somehow the combo just works. I don't know how often you can pull off "horror-ish creatures eating people" and "laugh-out-loud bits" in the same scene, but this thing threads it.

Sometimes a trick works because the movie earned it.

Dylan O'Brien is the whole engine. His timing is ridiculous. He's doing comedic beats in the middle of what should be tense survival moments and he never breaks the spell of the movie; he just adds another flavor to it. That's a hard thing to do. Most actors would tip the whole thing into camp. He keeps it grounded enough that you still care.

The fourth-wall breaks shouldn't work either, and they do. In a different movie I'd roll my eyes. Here it fits the tone, fits the character, fits the whole vibe of the thing. Sometimes a trick works because the movie earned it.

Jessica Henwick is great too. I've been a fan and she didn't change my mind here. Every scene she's in, she's doing something worth watching.

The thing stuck with me after the credits, which I genuinely didn't see coming when I hit play. I thought I was getting a popcorn monster movie I'd forget by Tuesday. Instead I'm still thinking about it.

Would I throw it at everyone? No. It's a specific recommendation for specific people. But if you're someone who can roll with tonal whiplash and you like a lead actor who knows exactly what movie he's in, this one's a winner.

I'd hit play on it again. That's the test.