Love and Monsters (2020) Review

Here's the problem: the world is facing an infestation problem.

Ever since giant, mutant insects and other terrifying creepy-crawlies have staked their buggy claim over the Earth, only a small handful of the population is left alive. The survivors are dispersed across the planet, hiding in post-

apocalyptic (and surprisingly quaint) fall-out shelters. Amid the cooking of canned minestrone, milking Gertie the cow, and working on art projects in his free time, young Joel Dawson is wanting a little bit more out of life. The half-dozen or so friends with whom he shares his underground bunker all seem satisfied with their own romantic relationships and families. And Joel freezes whenever he sees an insect, so he's not much help in the "fighting off deadly bugs" department. He's not really sure what exactly he's contributing to this new, end-of-the-world existence, and he's feeling alone.

Since his closest loved ones have passed away in memories he'd rather forget, Joel realizes he's disconnected from everyone he once knew. That is--everyone except Aimee, his old girlfriend with whom he's made contact on a refurbished radio. Aimee's living only a few day's journey in a different colony. Suddenly a few days of dangers seems like a small price to pay to put some meaning back into his life.

And since Gertie the cow won't miss him and his old friends seem kinda okay without him, Joel figures, "Why not?" Life's been going no where fast for Joel, and he's feeling friendless, purposeless, and empty. Why not go on an adventure? Embark on a quest. Defeat some monsters. Find true love.

And, of course, don't get eaten.

Monsters and the Marvelous

One of my absolute favorite types of narratives is the unexpected discovery of the happy ending. In these kind of stories, a character may take a hard look at their life and realize in a moment of sudden surprise that everything, through the pain and trials and sorrow, is actually quite beautiful and alright, in the end. For those familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings, he referred to these types of stories as "eucatastrophies," or a surprising and cataclysmic turn of events for good. (A good catastrophe). If you peel through the buggy adventure of Joel Dawson's story, it feels, in a way, like an awesome eucatastrophe. Joel, the hero, embarks on a perilous (and monster-infested) mission and quickly learns that it won't be a walk in the proverbial park. All of his fears about spiders the size of buses, of centipedes the height of sequoias, and man-eating grumpy crabs are true. As he journeys through the human-less, overgrown wilderness of Earth, he fixates on the Aimee he remembers. After all, no one else seems to be there for him, and his life has been pretty empty. But there's also beauty and adventure that Joel hadn't counted on. The monsters that he feared sometimes turned out to be gentle giants. The world he once was terrified of is a beautiful place, filled with wonder and sunlight and growth. Friends come in all shapes and sizes, and he begins to realize that his old life in his bunker was actually filled with meaning. His bunker-mates were more life family, his role had a purpose, and he wasn't alone in his loss. Others understand that pain and could see a light amid the darkness.

All in all, the eucatastrophy in Love and Monsters is both global and personal. On a global scale, the world seems like it just might be okay! (As long as hand-grenades and bug spray are handy). On a personal level, Joel realizes that he's missed a lot in life. Throughout the narrative lies the quiet undertone of appreciating the ones you love, embracing adventure through fear, and peeling back the layers of life to see hope. Hope, after all, is the thing with feathers, according to Emily Dickinson. Or, if you're in Joel Dawson's shoes--giant, mutant bumblebee wings.

Love or Monsters?

Love and Monsters, at first glance, might seem like a tacky summer flick. You know the type: shallow characters, thin plots, lots of explosions, and a blatant lack of respect for human life. Not exactly a can of (mutant-sized) worms, but not worth the time it obviously tries to fill.

This dramedy, while serving up similar goofy vibes, delivers a different story with surprising dimensionality and depth. The actual movie is a fun stew: think The Quiet Place meets Guardians of the Galaxy. Add the odd yet nostalgic 1950's-horror-insect films, and you're close to Love and Monsters. On the one hand, it runs recklessly head-long into action and humor, while on the other, it delivers some pretty powerful messages about friendship, family, and the importance of embracing life, even when its risky.

Love and Monsters isn't for everyone. There's plenty of mild profanity and monster-goo to find in this summer film. Just like Joel's world, however, there's some awesome aspects, too. It reminds us that when the world feels dark and scary, it's always worth it to fight for joy because light will always triumph. Hope and gratitude aren't just principles for the good times, they're the guiding reality that burns bright in end-of-the-world disasters.

Conclusion

Love and Monsters might just be worth the buzz. Be prepared to jump out of your seat from suspense, for some occasional forays into profanity and violence, and for some heartwarming truth about the hope that we could all be reminded of. It's a lot going on for a movie about giant insects.

Joel Dawson learned some pretty big lessons when the big bugs took over. Fight for hope, seek adventure, be thankful for friends and light and sunshine along the way. He learned that monsters do exist, but love trumps creepy-crawlies every time.

I hope that even this fun, sometimes silly, sometimes jump-out-of-your-seat movie reminds you of the hope-filled plans that God has for you. Sometimes that's easy to remember, and sometimes we need constant reminders when it's painful or confusing. Wherever you find yourself, I hope that the hope of God's constant presence and His light encourages you to find comfort in Him.

And if you were thinking, "You know, I've been doing alright lately. Now's a great time to develop a deep-seated phobia of insects," then Love and Monsters is definitely the right movie for you.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? . . . If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." --Psalm 139: 7, 11-12

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