Monsters
2010
***½
Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy
A large area in northern Mexico is occupied by extra-terrestrial creatures and the U.S. military has attempted to defeat them with biological weapons. An American photojournalist agrees to escort his boss' daughter through the infected zone to safety across the border. If you're expecting an action-packed monster movie, you're in for a disappointment. Gareth Edwards' unusual feature debut is more like a romantic road movie. Sure, there are some gigantic tentacled creatures, but the emphasis is on the two human characters. The scares are subtle, low-key, and very effective. Admittedly, the story is quite uneventful. The film was made on a shoestring budget. Edwards directed, wrote, and shot it, and created the impressive special effects.
