Monos is a tightly knit chamber piece that excells when it's at its most moody, visually alluring, and uncomfortably disturbing best. It falls somewhere in between the narrative elements of Lord of the Flies and the thematic visual grandeur of Apocalypse Now, and it gets increasingly more flinching as the spectacle ramps up. Although sadly, that "spectacle" can sometimes feel like more of a crutch than an asset when compared to the lower points of the film, because the descent into madness doesn't always feel like it unfolds in a genuine way. This is highlighted the most in the sagging middle act, where the film sort of loses focus of itself as it makes its way towards its shocking conclusion. It's heavy thematic stuff, but I feel like it often never knew whether to be a character piece or an atmospheric gut punch, and lands in a bit of an awkward middle ground.
While I do wish it was more consistent overall, the positives generally overshadow the negatives here. It's visually arresting, textured with real grit, and bolstered by a believable set of character interplay that, while frequently barebones, is still incredibly compelling in each brief encounter. Consistency is still the main flaw but this comes highly recommended from me, it's something that'll likely leave you breathless by the time the credits roll.
Monos is a tightly knit chamber piece that excells when it's at its most moody, visually alluring, and uncomfortably disturbing best. It falls somewhere in between the narrative elements of Lord of the Flies and the thematic visual grandeur of Apocalypse Now, and it gets increasingly more flinching as the spectacle ramps up. Although sadly, that "spectacle" can sometimes feel like more of a crutch than an asset when compared to the lower points of the film, because the descent into madness doesn't always feel like it unfolds in a genuine way. This is highlighted the most in the sagging middle act, where the film sort of loses focus of itself as it makes its way towards its shocking conclusion. It's heavy thematic stuff, but I feel like it often never knew whether to be a character piece or an atmospheric gut punch, and lands in a bit of an awkward middle ground.
While I do wish it was more consistent overall, the positives generally overshadow the negatives here. It's visually arresting, textured with real grit, and bolstered by a believable set of character interplay that, while frequently barebones, is still incredibly compelling in each brief encounter. Consistency is still the main flaw but this comes highly recommended from me, it's something that'll likely leave you breathless by the time the credits roll.
