Monstrous has a great 50s soundtrack and setting. It also has Christina Ricci on top form. What the movie doesn't have is anything new or interesting to say, the plot has been done ad nauseum and the 'twist' can be seen from a mile away. It's such a shame as Christina Ricci is a great actress and really should be given more interesting work, she isn't on the big screen as often as she deserves to be.
83 Reviews
Sigh
Tweetienator16 May 2022
My wish is really simple - I would have preferred if the producers had decided to go for a simple horror movie. The "twist" of the story is no twist, because it is far to obvious right from the beginning. On the pro side there is solid acting (nice to watch Christina Ricci) and production. A missed opportunity.
Somewhat generic and predictable...
paul_haakonsen13 May 2022
I have to admit that I was initially lured in to watching the 2022 mystery thriller "Monstrous" given the movie's cover/poster, but also because it was a movie that I hadn't already seen.
Writer Carol Chrest didn't really manage to churn out a storyline that was particularly inspiring. In fact, the movie's storyline was rather mundane and predictable. The movie started out fair enough, but then quickly settled into a monotonous pace without much of any excitement.
It is a movie with a rather small cast ensemble, but I will say that Christina Ricci carried the movie quite nicely, as did child actor Santino Barnard. It was nice to see Lew Temple in the movie, despite of him having only a small role.
Visually then "Monstrous" was actually good. Great special effects, which definitely added a lot to the movie, since the storyline was rather bland.
Ultimately then "Monstrous" was a movie that came and went without leaving a lasting impression. And I guess that come the end of the week, the movie will be a distant speck of a memory only. This is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, nor is it a movie that I would recommend horror fans to rush out to get to watch.
My rating of "Monstrous", from director Chris Sivertson, lands on a four out of ten stars.
Writer Carol Chrest didn't really manage to churn out a storyline that was particularly inspiring. In fact, the movie's storyline was rather mundane and predictable. The movie started out fair enough, but then quickly settled into a monotonous pace without much of any excitement.
It is a movie with a rather small cast ensemble, but I will say that Christina Ricci carried the movie quite nicely, as did child actor Santino Barnard. It was nice to see Lew Temple in the movie, despite of him having only a small role.
Visually then "Monstrous" was actually good. Great special effects, which definitely added a lot to the movie, since the storyline was rather bland.
Ultimately then "Monstrous" was a movie that came and went without leaving a lasting impression. And I guess that come the end of the week, the movie will be a distant speck of a memory only. This is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, nor is it a movie that I would recommend horror fans to rush out to get to watch.
My rating of "Monstrous", from director Chris Sivertson, lands on a four out of ten stars.
Bleh...
tmccull5213 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I love creature features, like "Dark was the Night". I hate psychological horror. "Monstrous" is psychological horror that was marketed and masquerade as a creature feature. There was nothing wrong with the acting, but the story did share some similarities with "Dark was the Night". Both films feature virtually identical losses. Both films feature a grieving parent's inability to cope with that loss.
"Dark was the Night" is a straight up creature feature, whereas "Monstrous" was a psychological character study. There was a subtle supernatural element added to "Monstrous" at the very end of the movie, but the focus of the film is centered on Christina Ricci's character's mental fragility. It only took me about five minutes to dope out that this was not the monster movie that the ad campaigns and trailers suggested that it might be.
If you're a fan of a nuanced study of grief and loss with a few jump scares and okay special effects, this might be a movie you'll enjoy. I, too, experienced grief and loss. I grieved for the loss of the hour and a half that I wasted watching this movie.
"Dark was the Night" is a straight up creature feature, whereas "Monstrous" was a psychological character study. There was a subtle supernatural element added to "Monstrous" at the very end of the movie, but the focus of the film is centered on Christina Ricci's character's mental fragility. It only took me about five minutes to dope out that this was not the monster movie that the ad campaigns and trailers suggested that it might be.
If you're a fan of a nuanced study of grief and loss with a few jump scares and okay special effects, this might be a movie you'll enjoy. I, too, experienced grief and loss. I grieved for the loss of the hour and a half that I wasted watching this movie.
Monstrous...ity
LordCommandar16 May 2022
Shout outs to Christina Ricci, I haven't seen her in lead role in quite some time. But I gotta say Monstrous was a you think the story is going somewhere but then it becomes a made no sense monstrosity. I mean I totally get the story premise but the execution was convulted and fell flat. Ricci did her best but lousy scripts only hurt good actors rep. Watch with low expectations so you won't be disappointed with the ending.
This is Just Bad
tragic-9461915 May 2022
I'm pretty easy on movies/shows. Very forgiving.
Pretty much all I ask is decent acting, decent pacing and some semblance of a story. For the life I can't understand why Ms. Ricci is in this mess? An established actress like this has to question her "people" and her judgment I think.
The story is super obvious and makes no sense at all.
Special effects are sort of ok. The kid actor is really lacking and that is surprising to me because I see really good child actors often now. It's just not worth your time and I hope Wednesday can rebound.
Pretty much all I ask is decent acting, decent pacing and some semblance of a story. For the life I can't understand why Ms. Ricci is in this mess? An established actress like this has to question her "people" and her judgment I think.
The story is super obvious and makes no sense at all.
Special effects are sort of ok. The kid actor is really lacking and that is surprising to me because I see really good child actors often now. It's just not worth your time and I hope Wednesday can rebound.
Not horror
imcharleen5 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
So, I went into this movie assuming there was some kind of monster or paranormal horror aspect going on. There was not.
The movie centers around Ricci's mental instability, but you don't find that out until the very end. So, the whole movie ends up being about her interacting with her already dead son, whom she believes is still alive and in her mind, they're set in the 1950's because I assume that's her idea of the "ideal" time to live in.
I kept looking for a relationship between Ricci's son and the lake monster, of which there is never a relationship explained or inferred. Her son died in a pool, and now suddenly a lady/lake monster is here to take her already gone son from her. Makes no sense, and seems to be chosen at random. Even if this were Ricci's mind making up this "monster" there is no connection made in the movie that would lead you to understand why she would have chosen a lake monster. The closest thing I can think of would just be the connection of water (her son dying in a pool, and then being dragged to the afterlife by a being originating from water).
Anyway, I loved Ricci's acting, and the costumes and scenery design were beautiful, but the actual story was terrible. Could have been really good if they had just made a better connection between the son dying and Ricci's character actually coming to terms with it in a way that made sense instead of a random lake monster.
The movie centers around Ricci's mental instability, but you don't find that out until the very end. So, the whole movie ends up being about her interacting with her already dead son, whom she believes is still alive and in her mind, they're set in the 1950's because I assume that's her idea of the "ideal" time to live in.
I kept looking for a relationship between Ricci's son and the lake monster, of which there is never a relationship explained or inferred. Her son died in a pool, and now suddenly a lady/lake monster is here to take her already gone son from her. Makes no sense, and seems to be chosen at random. Even if this were Ricci's mind making up this "monster" there is no connection made in the movie that would lead you to understand why she would have chosen a lake monster. The closest thing I can think of would just be the connection of water (her son dying in a pool, and then being dragged to the afterlife by a being originating from water).
Anyway, I loved Ricci's acting, and the costumes and scenery design were beautiful, but the actual story was terrible. Could have been really good if they had just made a better connection between the son dying and Ricci's character actually coming to terms with it in a way that made sense instead of a random lake monster.
When you order a Christina Ricci film on wish.com!
Go_For_The_Jugular14 May 2022
As soon as this film starts, you know it's low-quality.
First of all, the amount of companies involved is a red flag. Then you see all their cheap, tacky, cringy logos all pop up one-by-one...they look like they were made with Microsoft PowerPoint using Windows 95...they are ugly! Then there's the horrible font they use for the titles...everything in the first 2 minutes makes you feel like you're watching a made for TV joint, on a Sunday afternoon.
How they landed Ricci, is nothing short of amazing!
The film just throws you in at the deep end, with no build-up, or explanation as to who we're watching, or why they're moving. I hate that. It would literally take a 30 second scene, to establish things.
Everyone in this seems sedated. Like an entire cast of sloths, disguised as humans.
The story is boring, the cinematography is dull and washed out, the music is just famous old songs that have been used in millions of films before - like how many times has 'Mr Sandman, bring me a dream' been used for a scene about someone sleeping? Other sleep-related songs are available. Sheesh!
The majority of the budget must of been used on Ricci's fee...and licensing the songs, because everything else looked 'bargain basement'.
I could only manage an hour, before I had to knock it on the head - which is generous for me, as I usually only give films 15 minutes, or so...I guess Ricci's beauty kept me interested...but inevitably, not even she was enough...and I'd be better off using Google images(!)
Finally, I'm noticing a recent trend in 'horror' films, where scenes involving the 'horror', are almost pitch black...it doesn't add anything to the the scene...it actually TAKES AWAY from it! How can I be scared of something that I can't see? That only works, when the 'horror' is intentionally hidden, (like a poltergeist). It doesn't work when the thing you're supposed to be scared of is on-screen, but too dark to see it!
Anyway, I kind of knew this was going to be 'no frills' from the moment I pressed play - films that can't even be bothered to use a suitable font for their titles, are not going to be Oscar nominated. They might as well have used comic sans(!)
Not a good film...not at all. But CR is still a doll...so every cloud.
First of all, the amount of companies involved is a red flag. Then you see all their cheap, tacky, cringy logos all pop up one-by-one...they look like they were made with Microsoft PowerPoint using Windows 95...they are ugly! Then there's the horrible font they use for the titles...everything in the first 2 minutes makes you feel like you're watching a made for TV joint, on a Sunday afternoon.
How they landed Ricci, is nothing short of amazing!
The film just throws you in at the deep end, with no build-up, or explanation as to who we're watching, or why they're moving. I hate that. It would literally take a 30 second scene, to establish things.
Everyone in this seems sedated. Like an entire cast of sloths, disguised as humans.
The story is boring, the cinematography is dull and washed out, the music is just famous old songs that have been used in millions of films before - like how many times has 'Mr Sandman, bring me a dream' been used for a scene about someone sleeping? Other sleep-related songs are available. Sheesh!
The majority of the budget must of been used on Ricci's fee...and licensing the songs, because everything else looked 'bargain basement'.
I could only manage an hour, before I had to knock it on the head - which is generous for me, as I usually only give films 15 minutes, or so...I guess Ricci's beauty kept me interested...but inevitably, not even she was enough...and I'd be better off using Google images(!)
Finally, I'm noticing a recent trend in 'horror' films, where scenes involving the 'horror', are almost pitch black...it doesn't add anything to the the scene...it actually TAKES AWAY from it! How can I be scared of something that I can't see? That only works, when the 'horror' is intentionally hidden, (like a poltergeist). It doesn't work when the thing you're supposed to be scared of is on-screen, but too dark to see it!
Anyway, I kind of knew this was going to be 'no frills' from the moment I pressed play - films that can't even be bothered to use a suitable font for their titles, are not going to be Oscar nominated. They might as well have used comic sans(!)
Not a good film...not at all. But CR is still a doll...so every cloud.
Not Horror but Fantasy/Psychological Drama
twentyangel18 November 2022
They did this film a huge disservice by marketing it as horror. There is nothing in the fim that is remotely horror. There is a supernatural element but supernatural does not equal horror. If it had been marketed as fantasy or psychological drama an entirely different audience would view it. I believe that it would have much better reviews.
Cristina Ricci, as Laura, does a superb job portraying the many different emotions that one experiences when enduring the circumstance that is the theme of the film. The scenery is well done using upbeat 1950's music and bright colors to depict how Laura views the world.
Bring tissues.
Cristina Ricci, as Laura, does a superb job portraying the many different emotions that one experiences when enduring the circumstance that is the theme of the film. The scenery is well done using upbeat 1950's music and bright colors to depict how Laura views the world.
Bring tissues.
Over 40 Producers ?????
Zottel-215 June 2022
This is a film for people who enjoy film
joshuaanastasialove18 July 2022
Reading all the comments you will see so much of how the.twist is not origional or surprising. I knew where it was going as well, but I truly enjoyed the journey getting there. This movie is a beautiful look at mental health. The cinematography is outstanding. The camera showed you the hole in the story. Also the set and costumes were so beautifully done that it all added to the overall feeling of the work as a piece. Christinna Ricci absolutely did not fail to deliver. I will be watching this one again to see the things I missed. After that I'll probably watch it a dozen more times just to enjoy it. This is one I will be adding to my collection of films I watch repeatedly.
Don't watch if you expect a pure horror movie
fatt198822 May 2022
I believe most of the poor review is because the person expecting to see a horror but instead it is a psychological thriller. The acting is good, the story isn't very original but hey, it is hard to come by with an original ideas these day so it is just mediocre. Overall, me and my wife did enjoy this.
Mom's nuts
109YearsOld15 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is wrongly billed as a psychological horror, a supernatural thriller, or a thriller of any kind. No, it is not. It is just about a mom going nuts because her son was accidentally drown to death. Yes, mom's nuts, that is the real movie name.
The best part is Miss May, Colleen Camp, she is the only redeeming part of this movie. Go check her out in Apocalypse Now, she was absolutely stunning. Peace out.
The best part is Miss May, Colleen Camp, she is the only redeeming part of this movie. Go check her out in Apocalypse Now, she was absolutely stunning. Peace out.
Umpteenth version of same movie
boraisyar3 June 2022
Oh well
Before202012 June 2022
Really bad movie but at least the soundtrack, costumes and decor were nice. Not a drop of scary in this movie, more slow and boring than anything. Different style of cast for once. I appreciated the vacation from the same nonsense, they keep making. Kid actors used to be so great, wonder what happened? Now it's like they pick a random kid from a school and throw them in a movie.
A watered-down pass at what tries to be a thriller
dmansel14 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1950s American west, Laura and her seven year old son, Cody, drive to a remote home in California to flee from her abusive ex husband. The family is threatened by the possibility of his return as well as the presence of a monster lurking in a nearby lake.
As a supernatural thriller, Monstrous will go down as one of the year's worst. A halfway decent setup is burdened by an anemic script and uninspired direction. Laura, on the run from her ex, establishes herself and her son in a new city while renting a house on the property of an elderly couple. As Laura and Cody attempt to build a new life, Cody struggles to make friends in the new town and is attracted to a supernatural presence that repeatedly surfaces from the lake next to their house. Cody's fascination with this being takes its toll on Laura as her life unravels, leading to a third act reveal that would've been monumental if this film had been released prior to 1999.
Starring Christina Ricci, her performance is hamstrung by writer Carol Chrest. Doing the best with what she has to work with, Ricci delivers a strained, barely kept together woman fighting to create a new life for her and her son. It's through these strained, almost forced takes that Ricci does some decent work, but the veteran actress is capable of delivering far better outings than what's seen here. With a scene or two of brilliant work, the rest of the movie undercuts those scenes, ultimately showing Ricci as an uneven actress in an uneven movie.
I'm never one to harshly judge or criticize young actors, but Santino Barnard is downright awful in this film, bringing a cardboard performance of a character whose essence is necessary to carry the film's subtleties. Monstrous would've been better served with a more established young actor able to play both the sweet and disturbing aspects of the character. Barnard fumbled both, unfortunately, and his acting is distracting enough to pull audiences out of the movie completely. The saving grace of the film is the fact that while Cody is the linchpin to the story, luckily the focus is on how the events affect Laura.
Directed by Chris Silvertson, Monstrous suffers from the fate of having a possibly interesting moving carefully tucked away inside of the pedestrian one we're given. Featuring a turn that happens with mere minutes left to go in the movie, the film presents the opportunity of a rewatch to see what clues were left, but the overall presentation is uninteresting enough to make the promise of said rewatch fully inviting. At a scant 98 minutes, the languid pacing leads to a rushed third act that simultaneously answers questions and leaves the viewer scratching their head in confusion. Credit must be given to the costuming and production design, however, as the teams strived to nail the 1950s aesthetic and do so in bombastic fashion. Ricci's Laura is always snappily dressed in immaculate matching dresses and tops, while the few men in the movie are decked out in the tweed frippery of the era. Their house, the main setting in which the story unfolds, is given a fine eye to detail, helping to build a world that is so familiar an Americana of a particular generation. The biggest frustration is that these smartly crafted elements are the only real highlights the film has going for it.
Overall, Monstrous is a watered down pass at what tries to be a thriller. The film's attempts at tricking the audience into a third act reveal fall short, mostly due in part to the lackluster setup and performances of our main actors. A far cry from Christina Ricci's best work, Monstrous does her no favors with its weak script and bland direction. Brandishing a premise that, while covering previously trod ground, could still be mined for some great character work, fails to invest the audience into why they should care about Laura or Cody, or the situation they find themselves in. With enough dangling plot threads that could hang Manute Bol, what's displayed on the screen is underwhelming in almost every sense of the word. I liked it better when it was called The Sixth Sense.
As a supernatural thriller, Monstrous will go down as one of the year's worst. A halfway decent setup is burdened by an anemic script and uninspired direction. Laura, on the run from her ex, establishes herself and her son in a new city while renting a house on the property of an elderly couple. As Laura and Cody attempt to build a new life, Cody struggles to make friends in the new town and is attracted to a supernatural presence that repeatedly surfaces from the lake next to their house. Cody's fascination with this being takes its toll on Laura as her life unravels, leading to a third act reveal that would've been monumental if this film had been released prior to 1999.
Starring Christina Ricci, her performance is hamstrung by writer Carol Chrest. Doing the best with what she has to work with, Ricci delivers a strained, barely kept together woman fighting to create a new life for her and her son. It's through these strained, almost forced takes that Ricci does some decent work, but the veteran actress is capable of delivering far better outings than what's seen here. With a scene or two of brilliant work, the rest of the movie undercuts those scenes, ultimately showing Ricci as an uneven actress in an uneven movie.
I'm never one to harshly judge or criticize young actors, but Santino Barnard is downright awful in this film, bringing a cardboard performance of a character whose essence is necessary to carry the film's subtleties. Monstrous would've been better served with a more established young actor able to play both the sweet and disturbing aspects of the character. Barnard fumbled both, unfortunately, and his acting is distracting enough to pull audiences out of the movie completely. The saving grace of the film is the fact that while Cody is the linchpin to the story, luckily the focus is on how the events affect Laura.
Directed by Chris Silvertson, Monstrous suffers from the fate of having a possibly interesting moving carefully tucked away inside of the pedestrian one we're given. Featuring a turn that happens with mere minutes left to go in the movie, the film presents the opportunity of a rewatch to see what clues were left, but the overall presentation is uninteresting enough to make the promise of said rewatch fully inviting. At a scant 98 minutes, the languid pacing leads to a rushed third act that simultaneously answers questions and leaves the viewer scratching their head in confusion. Credit must be given to the costuming and production design, however, as the teams strived to nail the 1950s aesthetic and do so in bombastic fashion. Ricci's Laura is always snappily dressed in immaculate matching dresses and tops, while the few men in the movie are decked out in the tweed frippery of the era. Their house, the main setting in which the story unfolds, is given a fine eye to detail, helping to build a world that is so familiar an Americana of a particular generation. The biggest frustration is that these smartly crafted elements are the only real highlights the film has going for it.
Overall, Monstrous is a watered down pass at what tries to be a thriller. The film's attempts at tricking the audience into a third act reveal fall short, mostly due in part to the lackluster setup and performances of our main actors. A far cry from Christina Ricci's best work, Monstrous does her no favors with its weak script and bland direction. Brandishing a premise that, while covering previously trod ground, could still be mined for some great character work, fails to invest the audience into why they should care about Laura or Cody, or the situation they find themselves in. With enough dangling plot threads that could hang Manute Bol, what's displayed on the screen is underwhelming in almost every sense of the word. I liked it better when it was called The Sixth Sense.
Just terrible
Movieshepherd21 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Love Ricci, but this sucked. I kept thinking god this actress sucks and then see the credits and it's Colleen Camp. I didn't think she was ever an amazing actress but it was terrible hearing her speak. So fake. Like she was literally reading lines as she went. The story plot line would have been great if they executed the concept better. It just didn't come out. Waste of $7.
An interesting story
mjsreg17 May 2022
I don't know why this is so poorly rated on here. Probably teenagers expecting a slasher or something. I would say this is a very mild horror with a good story.
Anyway, for the adults, this is a good solid story where you are never quite sure where it will go
The acting is superb, and is the production.
One thing you might find odd is the constant references to Hotpoint - but this becomes clear in the end.
Well worth a watch.
Anyway, for the adults, this is a good solid story where you are never quite sure where it will go
The acting is superb, and is the production.
One thing you might find odd is the constant references to Hotpoint - but this becomes clear in the end.
Well worth a watch.
boring and
tchitouniaram30 May 2022
This movie deserves better reviews!
mstayah20 November 2022
I'm sad to see this movie has so many negative reviews, I truly enjoyed it. The story telling was beautiful and there were so many artistic undertones, I recommend everyone should at least give it a chance. While watching, be sure to look out for subliminal messages and hidden metaphors, it's worth watching for those reasons. Sure, it isn't what most would consider "HORROR," and that could be why some viewers may react negativily toward the film, it is more of a "Drama/Thriller." Christina Ricci is always amazing, some of her scenes in this film even brought me to tears. I'm happy to give it a 10/10!
Give it a chance
charliemouse-067337 August 2022
Horrible review because people only compare it to others...
Christina Ricci is brillant. This is a psychological thriller with a touch of horror.
A story with a touch of poetry. The idealized 50's with perfect mums doll look a like... Yet the reviews were superficial the movie isn't perfect but over the 4.6. For real viewers.
A story with a touch of poetry. The idealized 50's with perfect mums doll look a like... Yet the reviews were superficial the movie isn't perfect but over the 4.6. For real viewers.
Cheapo Productions presents Home Made Stew
MikeWright7520 May 2022
Finely chop some disjointed and muddled, mix in a soupçon of poor acting and flavourless script. Simmer for just over an hour until nearly dry, then add a twist of predictable and a pinch of tedious, you've got one great big steaming bouillabaisse of boring.
Almost mediocre
FeastMode18 July 2022
This is a movie that can mostly be described as "fine." The best parts are the performance by Ricci and the visually pleasing images. Nothing else stands out. Most of it maxes at mediocre. And it goes in directions later in the movie that range from interesting to predictable to nonsensical. (1 viewing, 7/17/2022)
What The Hay!
gab-6759919 May 2022
This was one of those movies you wish you'd read the reviews before even investing time into it in the first place! This movie made ZERO sense and was pointless and confusing as hell. It was like it could not figure out if it wanted to be a psychological thriller or a horrible horror movie with ZERO scary moments! Never really found out in the end if she was crazy or if it was all her imagination. I would NOT recommend this movie to anyone and I myself will never see it again. I wish I had not seen it to begin with! Hard Pass for me!
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