Monsters (2010 Film)

It's no secret that I have a crush on anything that the UK does. Really, it's no secret. So last week, I was standing in front of a Red Box movie rental machine and trying to decide on what movie I should use my free rental code on. Monsters looked like a good pick. The name of the movie, the description, and the picture used gave it character. That's something you don't see anymore; a movie with a lot of greatness going for it. Still, I was unsure of how good the movie could be; but it was a free rental code.

The opening of the movie seemed a little shaky; it was shot in a first person's view through night vision; as you can see with this uploaded video. I was thinking, "Aw man, not another Cloverfield."

The plot at first doesn't make sense with the opening of the movie but I cannot tell you how important it is to watch the movie as one continuous film. The little hiccup of the opening of the movie eventually makes much more sense when you see the end of the movie.

The plot of the movie is simple and almost original; NASA happens to find life in space and brings samples back to Earth. During reentry, the specimens are lost and end up between Mexico and the US. A couple years later, the creatures now have control of that area. The main characters are Andrew Kaulder and Samantha Wynden. Andrew is sent by his boss to retrieve his daughter. Unfortunately, getting back isn't as easy as they expected.

The visuals for the movie were pretty amazing when it came to the fact that whole movie had a small budget of only $500,000; giving the filming equipment a budget of only $15,000. Gareth Edwards actually wrote, directed, filmed, and did the visual effects for the film himself using off-the-shelf computer programs. The music score is pretty great; as it was atmospheric and relaxing.

The acting was also great as two lesser known actors were used. Since the actors were dating in real life, they were able to work better with each other. The extras were actually locals doing improvised parts.

I'd definitely recommend anyone and everyone to check this movie using Red Box for the low cost of a $1. You can't get a better deal for your dollar elsewhere!