“Mesmerizing
sci-fi with the feel of
a docu-drama, Monsters is set in Mexico
where a colony of dangerous aliens
is attacking San José and a photo-
journalist desperate for a front page
image of a creature is instead given the
task of escorting his boss’s daughter
to safety...”
MEXICO IS UNDER ATTACK FROM aliens, half the country is quarantined as an
Infected Zone and The United States has built a gigantic wall to keep the creatures
out in the starkly dramatic sci-fi action movie Monsters.
Six years before, NASA discovered the possibility of life within our solar system
and a space probe was launched to collect samples from Jupiter's moon, Europa.
But when the probe broke up over Mexico on re-entry, strange new life forms
began to appear in the area, including the aliens that have proved to be a threat
to human life.
The Mexican and United States military are struggling to contain the fully-grown
aliens, especially at the time of their seasonal migration, and it is at this
point that photojournalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy: In Search Of A
Midnight Kiss) arrives in San José in search of a front page image of one
of the live aliens. However, his publisher boss changes his assignment to tracking
down his daughter Sam (Whitney Able: All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) and
escorting her safely back to the United States.
While Sam is on vacation in Mexico, the creatures cause chaos with an unexpected
early migration and she and Andrew are caught up in the panic of the people
fleeing the city. They have to get to the coast by any means possible but when
the train stops far short of their destination, their travel arrangements are
anything but simple. They are forced to accept help from strangers and trust
their lives to others they do not know.
And once they have reached the coast, will they be able to find room on a ferry
to make their way back to the American border? There is further trouble ahead,
and a careless act by Andrew will put their lives in danger. Having given Sam's
father his word that he will ensure Sam's safe passage across Mexico, will he
be able to honour that promise? Do the men who have offered help have a hidden
agenda and what will they find if and when they reach the border?
Monsters is beautifully shot and real-life couple McNairy and Able turn
in fine performances as two young people in a dangerous situation thrown together
as they trek across the alien-infested countryside to get back home, fighting
a growing attraction to each other and having to make difficult life-or-death
decisions.
Part science fiction, part action thriller and part road movie, Monsters
is compulsive viewing; a fascinating, darkly scary first-class sci-fi that has
a very human side. Despite a modest budget, visuals and special effects are
terrific. Monsters will appeal as much to lovers of cool, indie relationship
dramas as it will to fans of mainstream horror/sci-fi.
Music is by Jon Hopkins; Produced by Allan Niblo and James Richardson; Executive
Produced by Nigel Williams, Nick Love and Rupert Preston; Director Gareth Edwards
is the Writer, Director of Photography and is also responsible for Visual Effects.
Monsters won awards for Best Director, Best Achievement in Production and Best
Technical Achievement at the 2010 British Independent Film Awards. It was recently
nominated for a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director
or Producer.
The film was written, shot and directed by Emmy-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning
CGI animator Gareth Edwards (Perfect Disasters; Hiroshima) who, for his
debut feature, wanted to make a love story that didn't make him cringe, as well
as "a sci-fi movie where the premise wasn't totally unbelievable". Edwards has
more than achieved his goal with Monsters.
• Following
on from its hugely successful theatrical release the critically-acclaimed Monsters
comes to DVD and Blu ray, courtesy of Vertigo Films, on 11 April 2011. Certificate:
12 | RRP: DVD £17.99; Blu ray £19.99 | Running Time: 90 Minutes.
Special Features: Audio Commentary by Gareth Edwards, Scoot McNairy and Whitney
Able | Behind The Scenes Featurette | Editing Monsters Featurette | Monsters
— VFX Featurette | Factory Farmed, a short film by Gareth Edwards.
"Monsters is compulsive viewing; a fascinating, darkly scary first-class
sci-fi that has a very human side" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"A hugely impressive disaster come road movie that conveys almost Spielbergian
promise" — Sunday Express
"A sci-fi picture which never loses sight of the human factor… an amazing
achievement *****" — Empire
"The most audacious debut since The Blair Witch Project" — Total
Film
"A lollapalooza… so edgy it hardly needs monsters… a masterpiece of high-amp
anxiety" — The Financial Times
"An intelligent, inventive film… highly recommended" — The Daily Express
"A road trip blending romance with sci-fi thrills" — The Sunday Mirror
"A horror film that has plenty of heart" — The Sunday Times
"A post modern sci-fi… with a hugely involving love story" — The Guardian
"The genre-busting Monsters is seriously impressive" — Mail On Sunday
“Mesmerizing
sci-fi with the feel of