LOVE AND MONSTERS: A Decent Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Another film that missed cinemas due to the pandemic is a surprisingly successful story about overcoming one’s weaknesses in the face of a post-apocalypse – an irony of fate, especially since it is the perfect proposal for contemporary frazzled nerves. This may seem surprising, but we are not dealing here with any sequel, remake, or adaptation of a comic or young adult novel; it is an original idea that leaves a taste of freshness, even if the script disappoints with its overly rigid adherence to textbook rules. Although it is difficult to speak of a work revolutionizing the post-apocalyptic genre, it undoubtedly adds a few of its own ideas to it. Love and Monsters surprises with humor and skillfully mixes horror with comedy, while telling a very personal story about the burden of survival. However, the creators do not fall into the typical pessimism of the genre and find a way to present important themes while maintaining a light tone.

The comedic backdrop and full focus on the main character’s narrative could have completely doomed the film, but the first few minutes show that betting on Dylan O’Brien’s talent was a good choice. The effortless charisma and decent comedic talent of the young actor, combined with cleverly written inner monologues, make the voice-over narration something more than just an exposition tool. As a viewer sensitive to films that tell rather than show, I immediately bristled at the sound of O’Brien’s voice describing events on screen; however, after a short time, I understood the intentions of the screenwriter. The narration in Love and Monsters is not so much meant to feed us information, but to build a bond between the alienated protagonist and the viewer. Thanks to this technique, the hero’s perspective becomes a filter through which the world of the film is viewed, and the viewer ultimately becomes the confidant of his secrets and a sort of companion throughout the development of the story.

The story is uncomplicated: when most of humanity was wiped out by a plague of giant insects, reptiles, and amphibians (associations with classics such as One! and the Fallout series are definitely recommended), scattered groups of survivors fight for survival in underground shelters. In one such bunker, Joel, a young man far from being an fearless monster slayer, exists. Clumsy and paralyzed by fear in the face of danger, Joel does not see himself as a valuable part of his group. In the strongly patriarchal reality of this community, his personal problems make him a weak link (at least in his eyes), and the daily feeling of uselessness is further worsened by the haunting loneliness.

In a bunker populated by happy couples, it is hard to forget the gaping emptiness in his heart – our protagonist is, after all, a romantic who, on the day of the apocalypse, promised his girlfriend that he would find her, no matter what. Seven years later, his determination has not weakened even a bit, and the newly established contact with a colony managed by his beloved motivates Joel to make a great gesture. The hero decides to leave the relatively safe shelter and embark on a deadly dangerous journey, at the end of which awaits his beloved. Along the way, he will not only face his own weaknesses but also several valuable encounters and an accelerated course of growing up.

The mentioned journey hides several surprises, but its overall course and key points turn out to be quite predictable, due to the aforementioned textbook approach to storytelling. The film’s script is full of Chekhov’s guns and obligatory elements of the hero’s journey framework. If a certain element is highlighted on screen, we can be sure that it will return in an important role sometime later; there are no narrative misdirections here, and practically every brick used to build the depicted world eventually becomes a part of the plot. This tendency quickly becomes apparent, which in turn makes it easy to predict the firing of the aforementioned Chekhov’s gun before it actually happens. Nevertheless, the story presented in the film is emotionally engaging, thanks to the likable protagonist and a number of interesting characters that appear on his path (special mention for the surprisingly kind-hearted Michael Rooker).

The world vision and the titular monsters are also fascinating, albeit sparingly used by the creators. It may not reach the restraint level of Jaws or Alien, but much more often than the monsters themselves, we see the effects of their presence. The characters tell terrifying stories about them, the environment is clearly dominated by them (webs, nesting grounds, burrows), and giant carcasses inspire fear even though they pose no actual threat. The monsters often scare off-screen – their more or less distant sounds prevent forgetting about the danger even for a moment, and phenomena like the rustling of nearby bushes maintain a constant level of unease (for both the characters and the viewer).

When it comes down to it, and the characters must face the latest tricks of nature, Love and Monsters does not disappoint, despite its modest budget (30 million dollars) for such a production. The film’s fauna is characterized by originality, and the clashes with its various representatives never turn into the same thing. The creators had a new idea for each successive confrontation, allowing them to create an interesting and gripping spectacle backed by decent CGI and a credible set design. Emotional investment in the fates of the characters helps appreciate these sequences and follow the quiet moments of respite with equal interest. Among these, the scene involving a robot certainly stands out – undeniably the most magical part of the film. A film that, through such moments, boldly counters the defeatism of post-apocalyptic archetypes and introduces optimism into them. In no less bold a manner, it presents a highly conventional but interesting vision of the world after the apocalypse, which begs for further development.

Despite these artistic successes, Love and Monsters shared the sad fate of many productions and went directly to VOD platforms. This will undoubtedly hurt the film’s financial results, but who knows, maybe viewer interest will allow for a continuation of this story? The ending leaves a slight opening for a potential sequel, and I would certainly be watching this project with considerable interest.