Writer: F.C. Rabbath, Adam Bertocci (Screenplay)
Starring: Dennis Friebe, Nick Leali, Bill Kelly, Joy Kigin, Alea Figueroa, Reid Meadows, Sarah Alexandria
Plot: Troubled childhood to successful author and a secret life that is waiting to be uncovered.
Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Original & Entertaining
Story: A Brilliant Monster starts as Sophie (Figueroa) is being interviewed by detectives John Logan (Kelly) and Abby Dunne (Kigin) investigating the famous author Mitch (Friebe) who has become a prime suspect for the latest missing person, Luke a bully from Mitch’s at school.
When Sophie reveals the truth about how Mitch gets his stories, the detectives are not buying it but go along with the idea as it looks like a lead to getting to the truth about the other missing people as the numbers continue to increase.
Thoughts on A Brilliant Monster
Characters – Mitch is one of the most popular authors in America, he constantly fresh and original material makes him different to the rest of the authors in the industry, but Mitch has a secret to how he gets all these ideas, one that is deadly for some. Abby is a detective investigating a string of disappearance, she believes Mitch is behind everything after hearing a story about how he gets his ideas but due to her past mistakes she needs to play it safer than normal. Nick is the best friend of Mitch that doesn’t have the skills on a literal level but supports his friend through his difficult times.
Performances – Dennis Freibe is great in the leading role, you can see how desperate to succeed and just how confident he is in make sure everything happens in his life. Joy Kigin does a good job in the detective role without bringing too much fresh to the role just playing it safe throughout. Nick Leali does a good job in the supporting role even if it does feel like the character he plays is Seth Rogen trademark friend.
Story – The story follows how an author keeps a secret about how he writes the bestselling books, but when things start getting desperate Mitch must look in a new direction. We dive into the idea that authors could go to extreme lengths to get the next piece of work, even if it means going too far. This does have an original idea when it comes to what is going on, which is good to see and it one that would be able to bring the audience into wanting to see more from the characters in the story.
Horror/Thriller – The horror of the film comes from what Mitch is up to, it is twisted with what he does too, we are also left wondering just how far Mitch would end up going.
Settings – The settings do come of basic, we have a few random meeting spots with publicists, Mitch’s home and the police station as everything builds up to the final moments.
Special Effects – For a low budget movie, the effects do all work very well and not showing us the full truth until the ends helps us wonder what they will show us.
Scene of the Movie – What Mitch’s secret looks like.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – What Abby sees is slightly disappointing.
Final Thoughts – This is a clever, independent movie, that shows original ideas, strong performances and a tale that will keep you wondering for the rest of the film.
Overall: One for all the horror fans out there.
Rating