Vertigo Films, 2010

starring: Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy

written and directed by: Gareth Edwards

the plot: After discovering evidence of alien life in the solar system, NASA sent out a probe to collect samples. When the probe returned, it crashed in Mexico, and those samples got out. Six years later, parts of Mexico are classified as an “infected zone.” Giant alien monsters roam around, sometimes attacking cities or people. Strange plants take over the forests. A wall has been constructed between the United States and Mexico to keep the creatures out. However, travel through the infected zone is still possible, a fact soon learned by Sam (Able) and Kaulder (McNairy). A photographer assigned to get photos of people killed in monster attacks, Kaulder is cooling his heels in Mexico when he gets stuck with an even worse assignment: pick up Sam, his boss’s daughter, and get her safely back to the U.S. for her wedding. Sam and Kaulder miss the last ferry out of Mexico and must hire guides to help them trek through the infected zone, where they must dodge air strikes, hungry creatures, weird plants, and other alien dangers. But as the two soon learn, things are no safer inside the U.S. than they are in Mexico.

why it’s good: “Monsters” has found a previously unexplored sweet spot between giant monster flicks and alien invasion movies. First off, the aliens aren’t really “invading” in “Monsters.” Instead, they’re brought here purposefully and accidentally unleashed. The glowing creatures tower a few stories high and have long limbs and tentacles but they don’t have an agenda beyond mere survival. They also remain mostly unseen throughout “Monsters.” Gareth Edwards avoids an all-out monster-fest in favor of a monster peep show, and because of this, when the monsters finally do show themselves, they look just as wondrous and weird as expected. Restraint is Edwards’ strength and he does a lot simply by shaking some trees, having weird noises issue from the shadows, and lingering on devastated towns and foreboding signs. The human story at the center of “Monsters” is somewhat weaker. Able and McNairy are decent enough actors, but there’s no chemistry between them. McNairy’s character is a bit of a creeper—Kaulder’s drunken attempts to seduce Sam are at first embarrassing and soon gross—though he gets a sympathetic, emotional back story. “Monsters” is good when Sam and Kaulder are reacting to the monsters, but it’s at its best when Edwards shows what daily life is like in a land where fantastic creatures are common yet still dangerous and awe-inspiring. 

why you should own it: “Monsters” was one of 2010’s hidden gems. Magnolia’s DVD features commentary from Edwards and the cast, as well as deleted scenes and a documentary on the film’s visual effects.