★★★½☆
Love Is the Monster is a dystopian family drama that asks the ultimate questions about love, loyalty, one’s moral ethics, and what would drive someone to cross that line.
Penned by Neto Villalobos Brenes and Diego van der Laat Alfaro, the film tells the story of a dystopian society where all the men went off on a mission and never returned.
The structure of polite society has collapsed, and there is dramatic inequality and a struggle for survival.
When a grandmother attempts to reconnect with her young granddaughter, the unthinkable happens, and she is forced to make increasingly consequential decisions in order to save her.
Neto Villalobos Brenes and Diego van der Laat Alfaro lay the groundwork and craft this intriguing world, giving us just enough information to follow along with the story, but never everything, leaving more questions than answers.
Outside of the basic knowledge that all the men have disappeared, we know nothing else about this world, how society is functioning, or what its ecosystem is.
Who founded the compound, which is essentially a fortress. A military-grade neighborhood where it’s safe from the outside world.
A world that isn’t on fire or a complete wasteland like Mad Max. At worst, it’s the Mexico City of Tony Scott’s Man on Fire.
All the kids wear masks outside to protect them from getting sick, but only in certain areas. Along with the kids, even most of the elderly people have nannies who are practically John Creasy. Some even carry military-grade rifles.
Yet the film never goes into detail or really explains any of it in the slightest, other than the fact that the world is a dangerous place, kidnappings are a big concern, and a lot of people are out of work.
A world that isn’t that far from the reality of some countries and places that exist within the world we live in, where wealthier families hire armed guards to protect their children while many are out of work and starving. Two completely different realities coexisting.
Having said that, it’s one of the stronger aspects of the film. It doesn’t waste time trying to develop a backstory or details that aren’t needed.
“It doesn’t waste time trying to develop a backstory or details that aren’t needed.”
Instead, it focuses the film’s narrative more directly on the details that matter: the characters. For Love Is the Monster is a character-driven narrative, not a story-driven one.
“An intense and emotional character drama.”
Neto Villalobos Brenes’s direction is intense and fierce, using transitional shots to create depth and emotional tension.
Not abandoning, but doubling down on the slow-burn pacing that is the backbone of the film’s essence, allowing the characters to remain the centerpiece.
Nicolás Wong’s cinematography is smooth and tightly framed, using the visuals to enhance the tension.
The opening 4:3 ratio shot of the sky and birds flying around, before transitioning into a tight and crisp shot of a woman lying in bed, showcases the claustrophobic intensity of the world’s current state while offering an unsettling sense of ease.
Paired with these wide shots that are used to showcase the emptiness and lack of presence. An abandoned society.
Pablo Rojas’s score comes in with precision and emotional drive that heighten the sense of uncertainty, adding to the tone that is established.
“Neto Villalobos Brenes’s direction is intense and fierce, using transitional shots to create depth and emotional tension.”
Accompanied by a well-rounded cast, with a fantastic performance by Paulina García that truly steals the film, bringing the character to life and really establishing the tone of the film.
Love Is the Monster is a psychological thriller that is crafted by uncertainty and the unknown. A film that well crafted and executed.
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