★ 5 / 10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please
Manuel São Bento
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com I've written this a thousand times, but I'll repeat it once…
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @
https://www.msbreviews.com
I've written this a thousand times, but I'll repeat it once again: I absolutely love one-location movies. I don't know exactly if most of Monster is actually developed inside the courtroom, but it genuinely feels like it. In fact, I believe every scene outside this place is told through extended flashbacks with narration from Steve Harmon about what happened before and on the day of the crime. Since the protagonist is a film student, his voice-over contains descriptions often seen in screenplays, which it's pleasant at first, but then gets overdone.
The trial is definitely the most captivating part of the story. Anthony Mandler and his team of writers demonstrate perfectly some real-life aspects of how the law works. From the well-known emotional disconnect of (some) lawyers with their clients to the prejudiced treatment of people of color, the courtroom sequences keep the movie interesting until its somewhat predictable, unsurprising conclusion. However, despite the exceptional performances from everyone involved, especially Kelvin Harrison Jr., the case itself wraps up with unanswered questions and some messages lost in the transmission.
While the viewers spend the entire runtime following Steve being a good son, brother, and friend, the other Black characters being accused don't receive the same treatment. At one point in the film, someone says "you must consider him innocent until evidence proves him guilty", but this only applies to the protagonist since everyone else is presumed to be guilty from the get-go without the audience ever seeing or hearing their point of view or knowing why they committed that crime. Furthermore, even though the viewers get to know the verdict, Steve's true impact on the murder remains questionable due to the last couple of flashbacks, which begs the question: "are we really supposed to root for him?"
Rating: C.
★ 7 / 10
Familiar story with a very interesting execution
joostkale
This is one of those movies where it's all about the execution. The story is something that we've seen before, but it's the way they execute this story that…
This is one of those movies where it's all about the execution. The story is something that we've seen before, but it's the way they execute this story that makes it an original watch. Because our main character is a future movie director, he guides us through the story with a very interesting point of view. The way he narrates the story might be a little on the nose at times, but it does give a very fresh perspective on a familiar story. Something that also made a good impression were the performances. Especially Kelvin Harris Jr. Gives a very good performance that shows the heartwarming, but also the darker moments of his teenage life. The direction is something that was a bit questionable at times. The way it uses the flashbacks and forward where easy to follow, but a bit out of place at times. There were also some side stories that didn't really go anywhere and little errors that kept me out of the story, but it did bring it home in the end. I became very invested in the story and that made the ending very nerve racking. All in all, a familiar story with a very interesting point of view.
•••
This a 2021 film, not 2018