A Horror Film Within a Thriller

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MOVIE REVIEW
Monstrous
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Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director(s): Chris Sivertson
Writer(s): Carol Chrest
Cast: Christina Ricci, Santino Barnard
Where To Watch: In select US theaters and on-demand starting Friday, May 13th

Christina Ricci (ADDAMS FAMILY, BUFFALO ‘66) stars in this unique take on a ghost story from director Chris Sivertson (ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE.) With a minimal cast, this unconventional horror sees Ricci play a loving (if not slightly overbearing) mother (Laura) to her 7-year-old son Santino Barnard (Cody) as they try to escape her ex-husband. They move to California in an attempt to start over; sometimes, that’s all you can do to escape your past. The film has a twist that I can safely safe most won’t see coming.

The film itself is pretty standard in its storytelling but takes place in the summer of 1955, so we get a unique timeframe for the horror genre. Along with a soundtrack to fit the era, we get the entire package that makes us feel like we just took a DeLorean back in time. The majority of the film, I would say, fits the description of a thriller more than horror, but we have a little battle of back and forth between the two towards the end of the film. If you follow my page, you’ll know that I’m not usually a fan of the slow-burn horror genre (MIDSOMMAR, HEREDITARY, THE LIGHTHOUSE, etc.) However, this will join the ranks of those I appreciate (A GHOST STORY, THE BABADOOK, THE VVITCH, SESSION 9, IT FOLLOWS, etc.) There was something systematic about the first half that intrigued me beyond the story itself; I genuinely think it was helped by the set design and locations of the film. Taking place in California, at that time, the state was far more sparse than it is now, and that plays into the unknown, similarly to how FRIDAY THE 13TH does with it being in the middle of the woods.

I feel all horror (or at least the majority) should follow the visual queues here with the less is more approach. We see the “monster,” but it’s not in your face, and when we see it, the effects are beautifully done. My biggest issue would be the pacing of the second half; we spent the majority of the film building up to this grandiose finale for it to come and go far too quickly. I would love to see directors cut with another hour of footage to flesh out the last third of the film. The twist I spoke of was fantastic, but it had a twist of its own, and let me tell you, I would love to see a sequel and see where this story could go.

In select theaters and on-demand this Friday (the ONLY Friday the 13th of the year!) If you get the chance to see this on the big screen, please do!

Thank you to Falco Ink. for allowing me to screen this unique thriller!

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