6/12 ForReel Score | 2/5 Stars

Christina Ricci is known for playing many wicked characters, in films like Buffalo ‘66, Black Snake Moan, Cursed and most recently Yellowjackets, so excitement brewed online when a horror movie was announced with her as the lead role. Even more so when it was reported to be an atmospheric monster movie, a genre that seems to be waning from mainstream awareness. However, due to a limited cast and poor direction, the success of the film rested on Ricci's shoulders alone. Even after exhausting herself to the tenth degree, her efforts were not enough to save the Monstrous from death’s door.

Set in the 1950s, Christina Ricci plays Laura, a woman so traumatized by her abusive ex-husband that she flees home with her 7-year old son, Cody (Santino Barnard, 8-Bit Christmas). Taking refuge in a remote farmhouse, Laura believes she has shielded her son from harm and now has the opportunity to build a better life for them. However it is in their new found sanctuary they discover an even greater, more terrifying threat.

Director Chris Sivertson is very familiar with the genre, having created D-Rate horror films such as All Cheerleaders Die and the infamous Lindsay Lohan film I Know Who Killed Me. Sivertson consistently struggles to emote his vision, blindly leading his actors away from any honest sentiment, producing an overall dull experience. Carol Chrest (The Prophet's Game) crafted a clever script that deserved more love and care in production. In the hands of a more conscious director like Jennifer Kent (The Babadook, The Nightingale), Amy Seimetz (She Dies Tomorrow, The Girlfriend Experience), or David Bruckner (The Night House, The Ritual) Monstrous could’ve been an utterly frightening elevated horror picture.

Ricci does the best she can to deliver a solid performance, fully devoting herself to the role of Laura, who is trying to give her son a better life and will do everything in her power to paint over any unpleasantries to make it happen. It is a heavy weight not only for the character, but Ricci herself. The direction of her character is sadly kept at the surface level. After escaping a delusion of drowning, she seems more confused than frightened, just turning side to side, not expressing the horrors of near death. Then in the next scene her demeanor is calm and casual.

Barnard’s performance lacks the emotional maturity for a character that has suffered such hardship. His portrayal is one-dimensional and reads as if he is in a school play, not a motion picture, leaving little for Ricci to bounce off of. When hiding from the demon, all Barnard does is breath a little heavy and dart his eyes around, unable to fabricate his fear or emphasize his dread. The two were also deprived of any form of chemistry, leaving the audience unable to believe they were of a mother and son. Then again, both actors had the potential for enriched performances if given the opportunity by the director.

Films like Carrie and Rosemary's Baby really kickstarted the troubled mother trope in horror films, highlighting the struggles of a hyper loving parental figure and the misguided extremes they’ll go to for the betterment of their child. Laura’s need to sanitize herself from the demons of her past breeds this form of perfectionism. The film repeatedly hints how that need for perfection spawns a lot of inner turmoil and secrets hidden behind her charming persona. In her mind, being a mother is to be selfless, thus pushing her to the edge of having to hold everything inside and drink away her pain. Chrest’s script skillfully lays the groundwork for thoughtful examination on this culture, however the third act’s plot twist steers focus away from the message behind the horror. As well as being overshadowed by cringingly cheap visual effects.

Although the film struggles to excite during its 89 minute runtime, the writing behind it is quite thought provoking. Having all the pieces it needed to be a great film, a stellar lead actor, a deep look into the pains of motherhood, and the idea of a scary monster, it is disheartening to see it struggle like a fish out of water. Monstrous at its core is an allusive character study, ultimately failing to impress.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Monstrous"; A Lousy Failure to Frighten