A Brilliant Monster (2018) Review

Inspiration Comes at a Cost

I went into A Brilliant Monster thinking it was going to be a  psychological thriller, which is was, but what caught me by surprise is that it's also a creature feature. The "monster" part of the title both describes this guy's mental state as well as the actual monster that hangs out in his bathroom. Describing this further could venture into spoiler territory, so we'll just leave it at that.

The movie uses a police investigation to unravel the story and crimes of Mitch Stockridge, a self-help guru with an uncanny ability to motivate. He literally motivates everyone, including the cops called on to investigate a series of disappearances surrounding him. Needless to say, everyone doubts he's capable of what he's accused of which gives him a lot of room to be a monster.

The movie itself is a thriller at best, any traces of horror are minimal. The monster pulls it into the horror category, but just barely. Imagine a movie with Belial from Basket Case, but where you only see things from his perspective. There's a little bit of blood shown here and there, but it's only to convey that someone bit the dust, it's all pretty tame.

Pacing was slow, but Mitch's best friend was a very likable guy, he provided personality and welcomed comic relief.

One interesting detail of this movie that I liked was the path to success that was presented from the perspective of the successful. Some narration described the path to success being a long dark path, that can be burdensome. Success from the outside is completely different and the successful often can't complain about their struggles, not many feel they're deserving of empathy. It's part of life, one that you often don't see portrayed in movies.

One stand-out aspect of A Brilliant Monster was the hilarious dialog between Mitch and his abusive bedridden dad. Every time his dad tossed an ugly insult his way Mitch would turn it right around on him. Their back 'n forth was golden.

Worth Watching?