Melissa Barrera brings emotional and vocal range to Your Monster’s protagonist. Surrounded by so many dislikeable characters, though, she ends up joining the irritating crowd.
★★☆☆☆
Four years after her short film of the same name, Caroline Lindy arrives on the scene with her directorial feature debut Your Monster. Tommy Dewey returns as the monster in question whilst Barrera is the leading lady Laura, following on from her role in Abigail from earlier this year.
Whilst recovering from cancer in hospital, Laura is dumped by boyfriend and co-worker Jacob (Edmund Donovan), sending both her personal and professional life into disarray. The pair continue to work together on a play they collaborated on, making the situation all the more uncomfortable. When even her best friend Mazie (Kayla Foster) becomes distant, she only has the monster in her closet (Dewey), who is introduced out of nowhere, to rely on.
Your Monster goes flying out of the blocks with an enticing first 10 minutes and a fascinating concept on the cards. Laura’s complex emotional battle leaves the audience wondering whether they should be laughing or crying at her pain, and her relationship with the monster in her closet swiftly becomes infectious.
Yet just as quickly as we fall in love with the duo, the people around Laura start to become noticeably annoying and this continues to grow as the film progresses. Whether it be her friend Mazie, the ex-boyfriend Jacob or his right-hand man Don (Ikechukwu Ufomadu), they are all such grating personalities that any charm seeps away. Of course, some films want us to dislike one or two characters, but for the majority to be unbearable is just simply too much.
This unfortunate trait eventually spreads to Laura herself, her treatment of the monster becoming uncomfortable to watch. There is a growing intimacy between the two and yet she continues to refer to him as a monster and treat him poorly. This inability to go beyond the surface serves as a microcosm for the whole film, as the fascinating concept is dragged down by the misguided execution and lack of depth.Laura and the monster boast more screen time than anyone else and yet not enough is made of their dynamic bond. Despite being the central draw of the film, their relationship is underused and underexplored.
Lindy does provide some exciting moments, whether it be the Halloween party scene or the dynamics at the play’s rehearsals. These frustrating characters clash and present minor intrigue only for it to be glossed over, begging the question of where the film is actually taking us. What is the purpose of the story? Laura, as a character, is fundamentally flawed and whilst it is admirable that we see her stand up to her ex-boyfriend, there is not enough growth in the relationship between her and the monster to make it worthwhile. It feels like a modern take on Beauty and the Beast that fails to provide reason for the presence of the monster and struggles to complete the lead character’s journey of self-discovery.
The Verdict
Caroline Lindy’s brilliant concept falls massively short in its execution. Easy-on-the-eye aesthetics and smooth music aren’t enough to keep from the irritating characters slowly wearing you down.
Words by Jamie Rooke
Your Monster is in UK and Ireland cinemas 29 November from Vertigo Releasing.
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