It’s not an uncommon trope for a female character to be introduced to her audience at her lowest moment. She indulges in a sense of self-loathing (we’ve all been there) and through either her friends, her career or a fresh male presence, she builds herself back up and becomes the best version of herself.
In the case of Your Monster and its lead, softly spoken stage actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera, stupendous), she finds the strength to claim her power – and her eventual voice – through the literal monster in her closet (Tommy Dewey‘s surprisingly charming, fittingly named Monster), an unexpected presence that, in her time of need, devastation and mental breakdown, she readily accepts.
It may sound incredibly bizarre, and, certainly, writer/director Caroline Lindy takes the biggest of swings with her concept, but, somehow, it manages to feel like an incredibly cohesive product, mashing up its elements of horror, comedy, romance and music along the way, with the film delighting in its complicated nature.
The setting being within the musical theatre subsect makes way for some enjoyable quirky show tunes (just wait until you see Barrera’s climactic performance). The relationships Laura has with the show’s director, who happens to be her douchebag-personified ex-boyfriend (Edmund Donovan‘s Jacob), the lead actress (Meghann Fahy‘s Jackie Dennon), and, of course, Monster allows her to tap into a multitude of psychological emotions she wasn’t aware needed awakening. And through the navigation of her own sadness (when we first meet Laura she’s recovering from a cancer diagnosis, so Jacob’s even more of a douche for leaving her) and accepting that her so-called imperfections are what makes her beautifully unique, Laura’s at once personal blossoming and relationship with Monster layers the film with a surprisingly sweet romantic element, as well as bringing forth a gory mentality that secures a sense of the unexpected for the audience.
You never know what’s coming next with Your Monster, and even though its mash-up of tones may sound disjointed, Lindy has an alarming stronghold on what unfolds. It’s also of immense benefit that Barrera and Dewey have an easy, charming chemistry that elevates Laura and Monster’s already inviting dynamic; the way Monster lifts her up (even though he initially threatens and dismisses her) is really quite beautiful, especially more in the context of where and what it leads Laura to do on stage in the film’s dramatic number.
Despite some of the familiar concepts Lindy has used as a base, Your Monster is deliciously deranged and a win for original cinema. We need more bold voices like hers telling oddball stories such as this, and if Barrera and Dewey want to come along for the ride again – these two are, without question, the types of exciting actors we need to see more of – I doubt anyone will oppose.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Your Monster is screening in select Australian theatres now.
