Monos (2019)
Earlier in the year, a film called Climax released which many lost their minds over. Filled with bizarre and unsettling visuals it felt like a bad drug trip and descended into a chaos that many found something deeper in. Sadly I was not one of those people, where the atmosphere of Climax was incredible the story was really lacking for me. I didn't know what to expect from Monos, the film got on my radar from its debut back at the Sundance Film Festival and since then all I had seen or heard about the film was its posters which easily are some of my favorites of the year. What I got was a descent into madness that spoke to me, I can only assume that my feelings watching this film were the feelings others felt while watching Climax earlier this year. Monos follows a group of young teenage guerillas who have been assigned to watch over a prisoner and a milk cow on a remote mountaintop. Things seem to be going good but chaos is quick to follow as the isolation and teenage stupidity start to grow on them and the prisoner plans an escape.
As I mentioned the one thing I saw regarding this film before seeing was the posters which were absolutely stunning. With dynamic colors and shot compositions showing off some of the most spectacular displays of beauty by nature the visuals in this movie easily are some of my favorite of the entire year. There is real power and rawness in the environment this film showcases that feel like they almost have their own soul to them. From the rocky mountaintops to the dense jungle, this movie fully embraces and uses the land that they are on and just create spectacular looking scenes. Because of this, I beg for you to see this film if you have the chance in a theatre, the experience of being sucked into this world is something that you won't be able to replicate at home and adds so much to the experience of watching this film. With the beauty of the visuals, I must mention the original score from Mica Levi. Again like the cinematography, there is a beating heart to the score of this film and when combined these elements create what can only be described as poetry. It's raw, harsh, beautiful, heavy. It's hard to explain in words the power that these elements bring but it undoubtedly does bring something strong.
The characters in this movie are also all really interesting and powerful in their own ways. I love their decision to focus on teenage guerillas simply due to the fact that they are teenagers. They are angry and dumb, they like causing chaos and running around shooting guns in the air not worrying about what they could shoot. In films like this you rarely see characters like this, sure they are dangerous but they are also still teenagers at heart and this dynamic really added something to this film. They also desperately want control and power which is the leading force to plenty of the conflict in this film. It is because of these characters and how they handle themselves that so much of the chaos of this plot comes from. These kids are in so over their heads and they try to make sense of their situation through just crazy acts of unity and power. They almost feel like a cult with some of the rituals they hold, there is so much screaming, anger, relief, and pain all at once. Similar to Midsommar also from earlier this year you can't help but get sucked into these actions despite being disturbed and unsettled from them. Even more than with Midsommar, it feels like at any second everything in this film could go to shit and the house of cards built will fall over which also creates so much tension. You have no faith that anything is going to end well in this situation and is always on edge because of that.
The characters in this movie are also all really interesting and powerful in their own ways. I love their decision to focus on teenage guerillas simply due to the fact that they are teenagers. They are angry and dumb, they like causing chaos and running around shooting guns in the air not worrying about what they could shoot. In films like this you rarely see characters like this, sure they are dangerous but they are also still teenagers at heart and this dynamic really added something to this film. They also desperately want control and power which is the leading force to plenty of the conflict in this film. It is because of these characters and how they handle themselves that so much of the chaos of this plot comes from. These kids are in so over their heads and they try to make sense of their situation through just crazy acts of unity and power. They almost feel like a cult with some of the rituals they hold, there is so much screaming, anger, relief, and pain all at once. Similar to Midsommar also from earlier this year you can't help but get sucked into these actions despite being disturbed and unsettled from them. Even more than with Midsommar, it feels like at any second everything in this film could go to shit and the house of cards built will fall over which also creates so much tension. You have no faith that anything is going to end well in this situation and is always on edge because of that.
This also just makes the film more interesting, I mentioned how my issue with Climax was that the story felt weaker and where this film doesn't necessarily have the most deep or interesting plot it is overall interesting as you see the power dynamics between these teenagers grow and adjust as the situation gets more out of control and I found myself being generally invested in the situation and how it would pay off much more than I was with Climax. You can feel the pressure grow and become invested to see the balloon finally burst. I do feel the need to mention the acting in this film as it is because of their chaos that the film really works. All the teenagers brought a really wonderful intensity to the film that brought a presence to their characters that could be felt in every scene especially when in a group. Wilson Salazar plays a smaller roll in the film simply known as The Messanger but I also thought he brought a really great physicality to him and his performance and was a clear standout when he was on screen. Julianne Nicholson plays their prisoner Doctora and is also really incredible in the role. She is one of the emotional backbones of the film as she fears for her life but also sees how her captives are simply kids. This creates a pretty interesting relationship as she has pity on them and feels bad for the situations they have found themselves in but also has to worry about her survival even if that means hurting the children.
If you couldn't tell from the review up to this point I loved Monos. This is one of those films that had that unexplainable it factor that made it stand out and connect with me greatly. I got absorbed into this bizarre and beautiful world filled with chaos, beauty, and anger. If you want to take a wild and unsettling ride then I would absolutely recommend you check this film out for yourself and plead with you that you go to see it in the theatre if possible. Where I am sure on future rewatches my relationship with this film will go as of right now I can tell it is something special and cannot wait to explore it deeper in the future.
If you couldn't tell from the review up to this point I loved Monos. This is one of those films that had that unexplainable it factor that made it stand out and connect with me greatly. I got absorbed into this bizarre and beautiful world filled with chaos, beauty, and anger. If you want to take a wild and unsettling ride then I would absolutely recommend you check this film out for yourself and plead with you that you go to see it in the theatre if possible. Where I am sure on future rewatches my relationship with this film will go as of right now I can tell it is something special and cannot wait to explore it deeper in the future.