Monsters

Six years ago alien life was discovered in our galaxy and a probe was launched to collect samples. Upon reentry, the spacecraft crashed over Mexico forcing a quarantine over half the country to contain the alien life force. Presently, the daughter of a newspaper magnate is stranded in Central America who in turn sends one of his photographers stationed nearby to retrieve her. In a journey back home that will inevitably result in a passage through the infected zone, the two come to terms with their own disheveled lives and growing feelings for each other. "Monsters" is an ultra-low budget film from writer/director Gareth Edwards that makes excellent usage of its budget as well as the genre. Edwards understands that the less we see of a monster the greater the tension and in scenarios reminiscent of "Jurassic Park" the employment of the minimalist approach greatly increases the trepidation factor. I did though feel that he underplayed his hand at times, cutting to scenes of subsequent safety during high terror point. The acting is of a low quality, although I did like how the romance angle was handled. Nowadays, monster movie makers miscalculate their work and misuse their slimy stars. It is a relief to see a director who understands the less is more precept.