Movie Review: The Monster

I normally am not a huge fan of monster movies. To me, they're a lot like slasher films--you can't relate to the killer, and nothing seems to motivate them outside of "KILL THE BLONDE GIRL!" There are a few exceptions to this rule, one being The Ring (though the monster in that movie was a creepy little girl who moved like she had Parkinsons).

The Monster (2016) is a decent film, especially for the genre its title so aptly places it in. It's a monster movie, but there's more to it as well.

Perhaps I like this movie because of my own home life growing up. I remember watching my parents fight. I remember being screamed at.

This movie, at its core, is about the dysfunctional relationship between a mother and a daughter. Whenever I see something like this, as long as it's done well, I fall into the movie. And this one is done well. The acting performances by the two leads are great--especially from the young girl. She shows the anger and hurt that comes when those who are supposed to love you, don't. 

Is the monster in the movie scary? Sometimes. But that's not the point. I believe that each parent loves their children (with few and frightening exceptions), and that's partly what this is about. A mother's love and her inability to show it. Except when it counts.

The Monster is also about a child's love, and how abuse that happens over years can harden it. In the end, though, all children just want to be loved by their parents--and I believe that regardless of their age.

If you like monster flicks where the scariest thing isn't what the paranormal can do to us, but what we can do to each other, you'll dig this.