LOVE AND MONSTERS

US, 2020, 109 minutes, Colour.

Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Fenwick, Michael Rooker, Dan Ewing, Ariana Greenblatt, Bruce Spence.

Directed by Michael Matthews.

Love and Monsters is a smaller budget fantasy, a popular kind of story with Young Adult films, perhaps more geared to the Younger Adult audience, teenagers, and family audiences. It struck a mark, was very popular, streamed by Netflix, and an eagerness for a sequel.

Dylan O’ Brien had proven himself a successful hero-warrior three times in the Maze Runner series. This time there is a variation on his character, something of a nerd in his way (which means then that the Young Adult audience of young men who don’t see themselves as heroic or not considered as heroic, sports stars et cetera may well identify with Dylan O’ Brien’s character, Joel).

The film is rather derivative, happily so – touches of the pursuits by creatures in the Jurassic Park films, silence around the creatures as in A Quiet Place, and the touch of the Percy Jackson’s amongst other influences. All elements which the audience will enjoy.

The opening is in California, an invasion of giant deadly creatures, people trying to escape, trapped and destroyed, including Joel losing his parents but rescued by a group in a truck who form an underground community. And this is the status for human beings for the next seven years.

Joel can make minestrone but is hopeless as a warrior, tentative and fearful. But, he was in love with a young girl, Aimee, Jessica Renwick, back at home and is able to keep in some kind of radio contact with her. After his failure in a vicious creature attack, he decides to go on a quest, to visit Aimee.

The bulk of the action of the film is his journey, pursued by creatures, dangers and risks, escapes, getting the companionship of a friendly and intelligent dog, Boy (who could be a cousin of Red Dog), finding an old warrior and a young girl who accompany him, who give him the rules of survival, encourage him in archery target practice. He also encounters an android who is winding down, shows him images of his family, sets the radio, gives him encouragement.

One might have expected the film to end as Joel arrives, rescued from his experience of deadly leeches, meeting Aimee who is in charge of her community who live on the beach. Enter an Australian yacht, the captain and his associates, friendliness all round.

But… Which means that there is more to the plot, some more action and adventure at the end, and not only a happy ending but all the ingredients for a welcome sequel.

1. The title? True love? Aggressive monsters? The quest? Alternate titles, Monsters’ Problems, Monsters’ Apocalypse?
2. The initial contemporary setting, ordinary life in an American town, California, the invasion of the creatures, the panic, Joel and his parents, the car, the flashbacks, in the car with Aimee, the farewell, the creatures taking the parents, Joel rescued by the community?
3. Seven years on, the underground communities, survival, the danger on the surface? Even the creatures attacking the underground? Communal spirit? The defence against the creatures?
4. Joel, his age, his making the minestrone, not considered a warrior, his self-image, getting the weapon, his fears, not shooting the creature?
5. The radio calls to Aimee, her community? 85 miles away? His decision to go, the reaction of the community, the Farewell?
6. The quest, above ground, the ordinariness of the countryside, the appearance of various creatures, aggressive, Joel and his having to hide? The house, finding Boy, companionship on the journey? Boy, the audience liking this dog, attentiveness, the touch of human intuition?
7. The encounter with Clyde and Minnow? The older man, the death of his son, on the road, warrior, weapons, the rules of survival aboveground? Minnow, loss of her parents? Her age, shrewdness, warrior? Befriending Joel, his accompanying them, the fires, two hours sleep, the meals, not two on the one night? The creatures following? Joel and his shirt and the scent? Avoiding the attack?
8. Joel, his ability to draw, his keeping a record of the creatures, the severe and aggressive creatures, the less aggressive, the floating jellyfish, testing the creature with its eyes?
9. The continued quest? Clyde and Minnow going to the mountains? Joel and his encounter with the android, Mavis? The conversation, the images of his parents, the radio and the contact with Aimee? Mavis and her wanting to sit and watch outside? Dying?
10. Joel, Boy and his going into the water to get the dress, Joel and the leeches, his illness? Collapse, being found?
11. Waking at the commune, Aimee and the rescue? The plans for the commune, to be saved by the Australian captain and his boat? The captain friendly, the celebration, his making the beer, everybody collapsing, tied up? His being a food stealer? His associates, Dana, Rocco?
12. Joel and Aimee tied, getting free, the creatures, the chain and the captain with the electric shock?
13. Aimee and Dana fighting, the creature approaching, Joel and his weapons, not killing the creature because of its eyes, shooting the chain, the ship adrift, sinking, the pursuit by the creature, swallowing everything and everyone?
14. Survival, Joel urging Aimee to take the community to the mountains? His return home, surviving two trips, the welcome? The radio broadcast? Urging everyone to take to the mountains? And the glimpse of Clyde and Minnow in the mountains?
15. Entertaining in itself, the target audience of young adults, younger adults, family? And a welcome sequel?