Released: 14th April 2021 (International Release)
Length: 109 Minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Michael Matthews
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Ariana Greenblatt and Dan Ewing
Surviving the end of the world has played host to many cinematic stories. Often times the colour is drained out of the picture and characters cling to life in a harsh, unforgiving landscape. Taking an approach more friendly to general audiences, Love And Monsters is able to take its own place within the survival genre.
When a meteor shower causes mutations that devastate the eco-system, humanity is forced to take shelter from giant monsters. For seven years, the young Joel (Dylan O’Brien) has lived in a bunker with fellow survivors. Feeling disconnected from the group, he heads out on a one-man journey to find his sweetheart Amii (Jessica Henwick) while building his own confidence along the way. Things unfold through straightforward escape sequences mixed with Joel’s self-aware commentary. On the one hand, Love And Monsters does proceed at a good pace with some mild humour to boot, making use of its light-hearted tone. But on the other, it also has the occasional scene that feels very tacked on. The most notable moment came when the protagonist stumbles across a broken-down robot. In a setting that’s mostly contemporary in nature, this sequence was very jarring and seemingly there to artificially set up an emotional moment. The final sequence also switches abruptly to human villains who don’t have any depth to them at all. What you appreciate most about Love And Monsters is how it dodges common tropes in the apocalypse; by making use of a more down-to-earth style, the film sets itself apart from other releases.
There is a weakness within the production though and that’s the cast. The leading man we follow is the lone exception to the rule. Joel is very likeable all around with Dylan O’Brien doing a great job capturing his relatable personal growth. There are several points throughout where he accomplishes something or manages to take out a pursuing creature and these succeed at engaging the audience. You root for this guy and share in the celebration of his achievements. It’s certainly not delivering a powerful feeling, but it does get you invested in the main character’s journey. Those surrounding him are very lacking; there’s a survivor duo played by Michael Rooker and Ariana Greenblatt who go by very underused, merely showing up to give Joel some training then moving on. Joel’s girlfriend fares a little better but because she shows up so late in the film, there isn’t much time to flesh her out. While the focus is wisely kept on Joel, you’ll wish the side characters rose to a similar standard. There really needed to be a greater attachment built with Joel's original group over time.
At a contrast to many post-apocalyptic pieces, Love And Monsters features a more brightly lit and aesthetically pleasing look. From the moment Joel steps out of his bunker, the film is covered in a deceiving green beauty that hides the dangers on the surface. Through the use of long shots for the environments, we get the sense of a world reclaimed by nature. Surprisingly, the film’s CGI is very strong across the board. There’s a lot of detail on the monsters and the way they move around and attack. In spite of its small budget, the mutated monstrosities on display do look suitably ugly and threatening. The music by Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp does match the tone, but all told it’s not very memorable. Outside of this, the presentation is done to an acceptable level.
Skirting around some clichés and embracing others, Love And Monsters is a perfectly harmless bit of action fluff that falls short in terms of wider characterisation. Its self-aware tone makes it easy to get into and the effects do well enough at selling a more light-hearted take on the apocalypse. Keep your expectations low and you’ll get some enjoyment out of it.
Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)
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