Monstrous (2022)

‘Monstrous’ has an intriguing premise but sadly the execution lets it down. It never manages to find the balance between creepy and dramatic, and despite Ricci’s best efforts the film isn’t great. Visually the sets and costumes looks magnificent, but narratively ‘Monstrous’ will leave you wanting a whole lot more.

Horror thriller fans will love Monstrous, but this is by no means a jump scare gorefest that genre fans might expect. This is an honest and haunting tale, filled with sadness and desperation, and wrapped up in the tropes of a monster movie. Intelligent and ultimately thought-provoking, Monstrous is a low budget indie success that I urge you all to go see when it is officially release this Summer.

In an admirably smart move from director Chris Silvertson, we only see the monster sparingly. Gore and kills are really not on the agenda here. The focus instead stays on the trauma of Laura’s past. Character depth and Ricci’s committed turn as a fiercely protective mother is just the swamp-drenched cherry on top.