Monday nights are the best nights — why is that, you ask? Because every few Monday’s, Regal Cinemas does a Monday Mystery Movie showing where they play an unreleased movie to get audiences excited for up-and-coming films.
With a slew of great movies coming to theaters soon, like A24’s “Heretic” and Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain”, expectations were high for this showing. However, nothing could have prepared me for the near-masterpiece that was shown as Oct. 21’s mystery movie.
“Your Monster” opens with upbeat music, bright colors and a depressing image — our lead Laura (Melissa Berrera) in the hospital where we discover she is battling cancer and recovering from surgery. While staying at the hospital, her boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan) breaks up with her after five years together because her cancer has become too difficult to deal with and he needs “time for me”.
Heartbroken and living alone in her absent mother’s home, Laura struggles to adapt to her newfound solitude. On top of it all, she discovers that the theater play she helped develop alongside Jacob during their relationship, in which he promised her the lead role, is being taken to the stage without her.
One night, in the midst of her misery, she meets an unlikely companion: A monster living in her closet.
“Monster” (Tommy Dewey) initially terrifies Laura with his callous and insensitive demeanor, that comes across strongly when he demands she leaves. The pair eventually work out a mutual agreement that allows them to both remain living in the house — but only for two weeks until Laura can find other housing arrangements.
Their relationship slowly turns from one of resentment and coexistence, to a budding friendship with an abundance of laughs and life lessons.
Classified as a horror/romance and both written and directed by Caroline Lindy, “Your Monster” originally started as a grant funded, 16-minute short-film released in 2020 by the same name and similar plot. In fact, “Your Monster” (2024) is Lindy’s first ever feature film — which is shocking when you consider the level of skill in the filmmaking.
“Your Monster” premiered in January 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival London where it won the award for Audience Favourite. It’s clear to see why it garnered such high praise.
From the opening scene to the closing credits, “Your Monster” was a scary good time. The film style and camera work wasn’t necessarily unique, but served the film well. The writing was fun and offered a decent balance of horror, comedy and romance that felt both modern and timeless.
Overall, it was an excellent entry into the film scene and an amazing first start for a director switching from shorts to features.
The performances from Melissa Berrera and Tommy Dewey were entertaining and engaging. Dewey’s blunt and nonchalant delivery of lines made him lovable despite his horrifying appearance.
Dewey’s costume is what I would imagine “Beast” from “Beauty and the Beast” would look like if he was a part of the New York art scene. With long hair, a beard too big for his face and a casual wardrobe, Monster is hardly terrifying — until he needs to be.
“Your Monster” errs more on the side of comedy rather than horror, which is a slight detriment to the film. When we are first introduced to Monster, the introduction is so casual and void of intense suspense that it’s more awkward than scary.
Had there been more build up to Monster’s reveal, perhaps there would have been a more eerie aura surrounding his character, helping the audience to take him a bit more seriously.
Despite the lack of hard-core horror in “Your Monster” is still an excellent film — but expect more of a romcom with a supernatural twist.
As for Berrera, famous for her roles in “Scream” (2022), “Scream VI”, “Abigail” and “In the Heights”, Berrera explored the horror genre further while showcasing her vocal talent simultaneously.
Berrera doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means but she plays her character well and delivers exactly what was promised: A devastated girl learning to find her voice again — both literally and figuratively.
Her vocal talent is wonderful and adds another layer to her character, but don’t worry — while there are musical elements to “Your Monster”, it is not a full blown musical.
“Your Monster” is reminiscent of Zelda Williams’ 2024 film “Lisa Frakenstein”. In each story we see a struggling girl form an unlikely bond with a supernatural character that helps our lead (Lisa and Laura, in this case) grow into themselves.
Both directed by female powerhouses and starring up-and-coming female leads (Kathryn Newton as Lisa), “Lisa Frakenstein” and “Your Monster” fall into the horror/comedy/romance genre and are excellent watches for those who still haven’t outgrown their monster obsessions.
If the plot alone wasn’t enough to draw your attention, there are several fun twists in “Your Monster” to keep you on the edge of your seat. After all, anything is on the table when you befriend the monster in your closet.
My biggest recommendation for those planning to see “Your Monster”, is to avoid the trailer at all costs. Unfortunately, it spoils a lot of interesting, key moments that are better left to be discovered in the theater.
“Your Monster” releases Oct. 25, 2024, and is perfect for those looking for a spooky romance to watch this Halloween season — or any season for that matter. It’s such a fun watch, you’ll want to come back for more, or start searching the dark corner in the back of your closet. Either way, I don’t blame you.
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Good review. Well written!