Film 79 (Goal: 300) of 2024

Monsters is the directorial debut of Gareth Edwards - who would go on to do Rogue One, Godzilla (the 1st in the new Monsterverse) and recently The Creator. The film is a slow burn revolving around two characters, who are attempting to make their way from Mexico back to the U.S. border. The simple premise is altered in that the world they live in is different to our own. A probe was launched to collect samples of alien life, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and half of Mexico was quarantined as an infected zone.

While the film opens with a brief action scene, the action in this film is few and far between. If anything, it's almost a love story, set against the background of an alien infested world. I'd even argue, the morale is love can occur no matter the circumstances. But because of this, this film is as I said a slow burn and that may be off-putting for some.

It's amazing what Gareth Edwards has done with a budget reportedly less than a million dollars. It's almost as if, when talented filmmakers are limited, they squeeze the most potential out of everything - and you get a better film because of it. But for a miniscule budget, the film looks impeccable. Gareth Edwards was also the visual director on this, and he's done an amazing job.

Many people may be turned off by Monsters because it can be an extremely slow journey. But just for the achievement alone of making this, for such a small budget, it deserves a viewing from any film lover.