Film Review: Monster

There are few filmmakers out there who have the ability to explore complex relationships with as much nuance and empathy as Hirokazu Kore-eda, and he’s been making a name for himself by tackling these kinds of stories for almost three decades now. This continues with his latest film, Monster, which also happens to be his first film where he doesn’t have a writing credit since his debut back in 1995. The script is written by Yuji Sakamoto. The film is also notable for being the last one to feature original music by the late great composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto, who I should just go ahead and say, does splendid work here.

The story has a vaguely Rashomon-esque conceit, in that it explores a series of events from different perspectives. However, it isn’t simply one act, like in Akira Kurosawa’s classic. It’s a number of increasingly escalating moments that involves Saori Mugino (Sakura Andō), a single mother concerned that her child is being abused by a teacher, Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama), and the goings on between Mugino’s child and another classmate, Minato (Sōya Kurokawa) and Yori Hoshikawa (Hinata Hiiragi), respectively. Things are not quite as they seem on the surface, and the hidden secrets of the characters results in tragic consequences.

I know that sound vague, but this is the kind of film that is best experienced knowing very little about it. Not necessarily because any particular plot point is especially mind blowing, but given the way the film is structured, in which we go from one character through another, exploring their perspective on the timeline of events, it’s hard to get into great detail without giving away things that are quite impactful upon viewing it. Just rest assured that this is yet another brilliant turn from Kore-eda, who takes a magnificent piece of writing from Sakamoto, and breathes it to life in his typically subdued yet emotionally resonating way.

The monster in the title is obviously not a literal one. It is a metaphorical monster, the kind we use when we want to dismiss something we do not understand. It’s an easy thing to throw out there. “Oh, you hear what so-and-so did, he’s a monster.” “Can you believe how those people acted, what a bunch of monsters.” It’s easy, but it doesn’t require any reflection on your part. You simply get to pass judgment, without any understanding of the bigger picture, of the greater context behind a person’s actions. And one thing I will give away because it’s noteworthy, is that the film is a film about queer identity and queer experience, which adds another layer to the running theme of dismissing what you fail to understand or lack the emotional range to empathize with.

The performances are top notch. Andō has already proven to be quite the talent from her standout turn in Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, not to mention a terrific supporting role in the recent Godzilla Minus One, but she really brings you in with her performance, as she essentially lays the emotional groundwork that the film builds off of and further peels back as well. Nagayama is wonderful as this guy who unwittingly gets caught up a web of drama and baggage. Kurokawa and Hiiragi are ultimately the two brightest points in the film, once the film shifts to their perspective in the back half, it’s startling to see how they handle such complicated and mature emotional material, but they both absolutely knock it out of the park. But I also have to shoutout Yūko Tanaka as the elementary school principal, Makiko Fushimi, a small but very significant role that ties very deeply into the themes that the film is exploring.

Monster really impressed me. It’s not very surprising, given how consistently strong Hirokazu Kore-eda has been throughout his career, where even projects that most might consider “lesser works” like Broker, are still a breath of fresh air in the greater international cinematic landscape. This one might start off a little awkward because you’re not quite sure where it’s going, and there are certain choices that feel very odd, but once you get an understanding of what the story is doing structurally, it all makes sense, and the film is so rich in detail that each little moment pays off wonderfully, though not often as happily as that would imply. It respects your ability to understand the intentions of the story and follow without any hand-holding or black-and-white moralizing, and when it finally reaches the ending, it really couldn’t have ended on a more perfect note, as heartbreaking as it may be. No one does these stories quite like he does, and when there comes a film of his where all the different elements come together to create something that is this engrossing, haunting, and beautiful, that’s when you know you have something really special.

Monster is now out in select theaters.