Brandon at Random Reviews

*spoilers*ish

You know, I’ve always seen pictures of Charlize Theron as she looks in this flick next to pics of Aileen Wuornos and it is pretty wild. They don’t look exactly alike, but they definitely give off the same energy and have a similar aesthetic. For those that don’t know, Wuornos was a prostitute turned serial killer who murdered seven of her “clients” in what she claimed was self-defense. So if you’re a big serial killer enthusiast, I don’t know, maybe you’ll like this?

Charlize Theron won like all the fucking awards for Best Actress in 2003 for this movie and it was well deserved. She is acting her ass off in this thing, and Christina Ricci does very well despite having to play second fiddle to Theron. The other actors we see in minor roles play their parts well, but are obviously overshadowed by the titular “Monster” as well.

We basically get to see the descent from minor to completely psychotic in Wuornos and it is intense. Her and Ricci’s character go back and forth and Wuornos is constantly hiding what she’s done or fabricating some story to try and make herself look good. Charlize also does these insane facial expressions that are truly unsettling and make you feel like she really has some screws loose. It really is terrific.

The only thing I have to say bad about this film is that it feels pretty one-dimensional plot-wise due to Theron’s outstanding performance. Sure, there is more going on but all the side plot falls to the wayside as the audience gravitates toward the excitement of whatever batshit crazy stuff Charlize might do next.

Still a strong recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️