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The Monster
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02:14
The Monster
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- 2015
- Bryan Bertino
- 91 mins
- 15
Summary
Calling time on life with her volatile, alcoholic mother, neglected youngster Lizzie is on route to start a new life with her estranged father when a car accident leaves mother and daughter stranded on a deserted country road on a stormy night. Desperately awaiting help, the pair soon realise they are not alone - a terrifying evil is lurking in the surrounding woods, and apparently, it's hungry.
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Review
A star rating of 4 out of 5.
Jeremy Aspinall
In this impressive low-budget terror-teaser from director Bryan Bertino, alcoholic, chain-smoking mess-of-a-mum Kathy (Zoe Kazan) and neglected young daughter Lizzy (Ella Ballentine) are forced to put their quarrelling on hold when a puncture leaves the pair stranded on a storm-lashed country road at night. Rescue is soon on the way but as they wait in the car and the rain buckets down, there's a sense of something beastly lurking about outside. As with his 2007 home-invasion horror The Strangers, Bertino ekes out the suspense meticulously - the constant thrumming of rainfall and a subtly insistent score adding to an already unsettling atmosphere. Also, the seesawing between the couple's predicament and flashbacks to their fractious, often painful-to-watch relationship ("You're too old for that," says Kathy. "I'm too old for a lot of things," replies Lizzy) allows Ballentine and Kazan (initially unsympathetic but then tenaciously protective) to show the sort of acting chops not normally associated with scary movies. Their toothsome tormentor is mostly left in the shadows, too, which makes its fearsome foraging all the more shocking.
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5.4/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameKathyZoe KazanLizzyElla BallentineJesseAaron DouglasLeslie WilliamsChristine EbadiJohn BrooksMarc HickoxRoyScott SpeedmanMonsterChris Webb (2)
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Crew
rolenameDirectorBryan Bertino
Details
Languages
English
Guidance
Violence, swearing
Available on
DVD
Formats
Colour
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