Monsters (2010)

I remember when this came out and I added it to my list of things to see.  However, as the months went on I forgot about it until recently when it crept its way back into my attention span.  Now I regret not watching it right away, because quite frankly it's stunning.

After discovering the possibility of an alien life form, NASA sends a probe into space.  However, on its return things go awfully wrong and the probe breaks up over Mexico.  Six years later, 'Infected Zones' are quarantined and the military do regular bombing and seek and destroy missions to take out the aliens.  The movie focuses on the characters Andrew and Samantha, a photographer and a tourist who are trying to get back to the safety of America from Mexico, but have to make their way through the quarantined alien danger zones because of Andrew making a tequila caused mistake and losing their passports.

This movie was made on a shoestring budget, but it looks so much larger.  One of the main strengths of Monsters is its use of visuals - beautiful scenery, shots and well used CGI make this a treat on the eye.  The atmosphere throughout is also great.  It's constantly suspenseful and it captures that feeling of a post-Apocalyptic world in a realistic manner, as society is still surviving, but there's a constant threat and everything is bleak.

Monsters does have its critics, and I can see why people would be put off it.  For instance, it's not very action packed, it's slow and it focuses more on the relationship of the two main characters more than anything else.  However, in my opinion these criticisms are the reasons the movies worked so well.  The characters are likable, the dialogue is fascinating and the growing relationship as the film progresses makes this a love story set in a world where everything else is bleak.  The movie is very documentary like at times, but it still has a story and feels very realistic.

We've seen the alien movies with the amazing action sequences, explosions, creatures and all sorts before.  I think Monsters is great because it's different.  It's a smart, captivating movie made by a filmmaker who looks very promising indeed.