Why would anyone want to fall in love with a monster? From “Beauty and the Beast” to “The Twilight Saga,” there’s no shortage of films that play with this trope. One explanation for this might be that falling in love with a monster — even if it’s potentially dangerous — allows for experiences that deviate from social norms. This raises the question: Why should we fall in love with a monster in Caroline Lindy’s feature debut “Your Monster?”
“Your Monster” follows Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), a young actress recovering from cancer and, to add salt to the wound, was dumped during the lengthy treatment process. Her ex-boyfriend is up-and-coming theater director Jacob (Edmund Donovan), who denies the lead role for his new musical from Laura, despite writing it for and naming it after her. On a stormy night while Laura is drowning her sorrows in mid-century pop and old pies, she discovers that in her childhood closet hides a snaggle-toothed, sharp clawed, grotesquely hairy monster.
He’s not bad company.
The appeal of “Your Monster” is carried on the backs of the two lead performances. Barrera’s acting is instantly likable, and her chemistry with Monster (Tommy Dewey) is immediately captivating. Laura and Monster’s relationship follows an enemies-to-lovers trope for its first 15 minutes, but their dynamic is always affable and harmless enough that there isn’t a point when you are genuinely questioning Laura’s safety.
That the irony central to “Your Monster” and its romance is that Monster is decidedly the least monstrous of the two male leads. You may find yourself falling in love with Monster at times with his sharp wit, passion for justice for Laura and genuine devotion to her passions and wellbeing. Much of Monster’s screen time is dedicated to scenes of him reciting theater, playing piano and watching the movies Laura likes so he can understand her better. When he isn’t doing that, he’s giving Laura matter-of-fact advice when she needs solutions and getting her to embrace her anger when she needs support.
In contrast, Jacob is conventionally beautiful and superficially intelligent in ways that you might want a man to be, but it quickly becomes clear how disingenuous it all is. He writes a musical about disenfranchised women that he purportedly devotes to the collective women of the world, and yet he’s ready to dismiss the experiences of the women in his life as either being too emotional or just being crazy. Conversely, Monster’s bad manners — messy eating, loud outbursts, disregard for personal space — are some of the things that make him superficially monstrous; but while Jacob may try to keep her quiet and beaten down, Monster encourages her to do the opposite.
And there lies the appeal that “Your Monster” finds in its monstrous beau. So many people consider the idea of standing up for themselves in any form terrifying, so the fantasy of “Your Monster” then, is finding a way to get angry enough to forget your fear.
This fantasy is made all the more satisfying through its luscious visuals. Not only is the film glamorously shot — with sumptuous lighting and colors giving it a sort of Old Hollywood sheen at times — but it is often judiciously shot in a way that is uncommon in a lot of modern movies. Lindy efficiently blocked many two-shots for conversations with the romantic leads, which was crucial for making chemistry in an unconventional relationship seem convincing.
Contact Max Vetter at [email protected].