Monstrous (2022) Review

From director Chris Sivertson, Monstrous follows mother Christina Ricci and her young son as they try to build a new life away from an abusive figure in their lives.

From the get go, the focus is firmly set on Ricci, with the majority of the cast feeling like unfinished bit parts that exist only to provide context for her. With Ricci delivering an oddly robotic performance, it seems as the story progresses that this may be a deliberate direction set to evoke the unnerving tone needed for the tale.

Something about the world around the mother seems a little too careful, plastic wrapped to preserve what lies underneath. Though I get what Sivertson was trying to achieve, I found myself separate from the story, my mind wandering to piece things together rather than enjoying the ride.

As the feature progresses, the narrative itself feels a little disjointed, with unexpected new element shoehorned in about the halfway mark that felt entirely unnecessary.

Though it seems a lot of what felt ‘off’ about the film was likely intentional, for me the end result didn’t quite sit right, with some of the more ‘shocking’ elements sadly feeling a little lacklustre and predictable. As the feature drew to a close, I had more questions than answers, but rather than appreciating the ambiguity, I felt frustrated by the confusing loose ends.

The billing of Ricci will definitely draw in an audience, but Monstrous unfortunately doesn’t seem sure enough of itself to appease most genre fans, wavering somewhere between psychological thriller and horror.

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