Laura Franco is a young actress has hit rock bottom. She is diagnosed with cancer and her boyfriend breaks up with her "needing a break." After spending some time alone, she finds a long-haired monster living in her closest. Laura grows very close to this oddly charming monster as she lands a job at a play directed by her ex-boyfriend.
Saw this one for Melissa Barrera and it did not disappoint. In fact, Your Monster really surprised me. It takes three genres and combines them like a pro to create a heartwarming and twisted horror romcom. Watching Caroline Lindy's movie feels like watching a theater kid's dream and I loved it. The story is so entertaining between the adorable romance between Laura and Monster, the clever humor throughout the film, the juicy drama with the theater production and Laura dealing with Jacob, the twists that I surprisingly did not see coming and a really memorable ending. The atmosphere is so classy like watching an old school romcom with a neat gothic twist. I could easily see this being a great comfort movie for those dealing with bad breakups.
Speaking of which, Lindy does a great job capturing the cruelty and tragedy of a breakup when someone is going through their lowest moment. She also conveys that the actions of Laura's boyfriend were not okay and that she should stick up for herself in a very powerful way. This has got to be one of the meanest breakups I have seen in a movie and it shows that he was not gonna be there for her ever.
I also like how despite that Lindy shows that it maybe hard for someone who has been wronged to let go entirely. I am no expert on romantic relationships, but this got me thinking a bit about relationships.
The romantic relationship between Laura and Monster is absolutely adorable. They have a lot more in common than they think and watching their bond grow is effortlessly charming. At first, the relationship seemed very weird as Monster started out as unlikable but he grows on me as the film goes along and I can see why the two click so much better with their similarities and differences complimenting each other well. It helps that Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey share fantastic chemistry.
Another thing I liked is how they show that friendship requires more than just giving things and hanging out for a few minutes. Now there is twist with her, but in general, the movie encourages people to be better friends and not do the bare minimum. This movie surprisingly has a lot of solid things to say about the people around you and why spending more time with your friends is important.
Melissa Barrera as Laura Franco is so good in this movie. She plays the role of a brokenhearted woman perfectly with her expressions, dialogue delivery and her actions. Her rants against Jacob and Mazie are epic to watch. It is also really cool to see Barrera in a role like this that brings out some insecurities and frustrations making her performance even more authentic.
Tommy Dewey is a blast as Monster. His mannerisms, his casual speech to Laura when they first meet and his recitations of classic literature makes him very entertaining to watch. Dewey owns the role and he looks like he is having so much fun playing this strange creature every minute he is on screen.
Barrera and Dewey share delightful chemistry with each other. They look like they love being around each other every minute and they help make the bond between Laura and Monster so charming to watch. There is a lovely dance scene in particular is a beautiful showcase of their chemistry without a single line of dialogue.
Jacob as an antagonist or villain is probably one of my most hated characters of the year, but in a good way. Jacob represents everything that a boyfriend should never be and each scene he is in shows how much a horrible person he is and I already did not like him from the opening scene! Edmund Donovan does a fantastic job as this jerk and showing all of his unsavory traits while showing a few pleasant ones to hide his true nature. Donovan captures the entitled boss perfectly.
Mazie is another character that I did not like from the start, but the movie makes it clear that she is not a good friend to Laura. She tries to hype herself up as Laura's ride or die, but she always says she has to go somewhere when Laura needs her. Kayla Foster does a really good showing that energy that feels kind of fake. On the other hand, there is Jackie who seems like a mean girl at first, but turns out to be pretty likable and well-meaning. Meghan Fahy does a solid job as this character with a heart of gold. The cast is so great because everyone here feels so authentic in their roles.
Visually, the movie looks really neat. I really love the gothic setting between the diverse colors and the slick cinematography that balances between darkness and colorful. The costume designs are creative with the theater setting and the makeup on Tommy Dewey looks great. He probably has the perfect look for a romantic monster here.
The musical score by Timothy Williams is very enchanting with a nice mix of horror and whimsical energy. Not only that, but the songs in the movie are great. There are a lot of classy old songs throughout the film making the movie feel delightfully old-school at times. Barrera does not just deliver a great acting performance, but she also gets show her singing talents. Her voice is beautiful and her singing is excellent with the song "My Stranger." It makes me want to hear her sing in more movies or on her own.
Your Monster is such a lovely romantic comedy with horror elements. It is bursting with charm, creativity and laughs while having some really good commentary about friendship and relationships. I can see how personal this project is for director Caroline Lindy as she pours her heart and soul in every scene in this movie from Laura's experience to the personality of Monster. This is a very overlooked film and I highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of romcoms and want something fresh on the genre. Heck, I am not even a fan of romcoms, but this movie won me over!
