MONSTERS

"Six years ago ... NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A space probe was launched to collect samples but broke up during re-entry over Mexico. Soon after new life forms began to appear and half the country was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today ... the Mexican and US military still struggle to contain 'the creatures' ..."

So begins MONSTERS, a very low-budget sci-fi film (the budget was reportedly $800,000.00) from British FX artist and short filmmaker Gareth Edwards.

It opens with night-vision footage of soldiers firing shots at a giant alien. You don't get a good look at the creature, but the pandemonium is felt through the brisk editing and handheld photography.

Then we meet Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a journalist who is asked by his boss to pick up daughter Samantha (Whitney Able) and escort her from the Mexican border - where chaos reigns to this day, fenced in by a giant wall erected around it - and to the relative safety of America.

Andrew picks Samantha up and they waste no time in grabbing a taxi, and then a train. Andrew is keen to take this opportunity to get closer to the mayhem unfurling on a daily basis behind the protective walls, seeing it as his big chance for a major scoop - but is told under no uncertain terms, via repeated telephone conversations, that his one priority is to get Samantha home to her father safely.

As the pair settle in on the train and watch as the devastation draws farther away, they rest and recoup. But respite is fleeting in these hectic times, as constant train horns and public announcements over speakers ensure.

When their train stops briefly in the dead of night, Andrew and Samantha leave it momentarily to check out why. It transpires that the rail-track has been damaged and the pair must wait until morning to catch a bus: it is far too dangerous to travel by night. Reluctantly, they agree to spend the night with a Mexican family at their rest stop.

While television sets constantly remind them of the threat outside - the news reports detailing how the military continue to struggle to keep the aliens contained - Samantha and Andrew find time to enjoy their stay with this family. And, more pertinently, as their journey continues and Andrew takes snaps of locals along the way, they grow to appreciate each other's company more and more.

And, really, that is what MONSTERS is about: the relationship that develops subtly between this pair during their journey to the American-Mexican border.

It's been decried by some as slow moving but that's not accurate. MONSTERS never deviates from its simple storyline, and the confusion of dual governments struggling to cope with a unique incident of huge proportions is felt in every scene. But Edwards is more concerned with the human reactions - how people cope under such pressures, and how it's the smallest things that come to matter in such situations.

McNairy and Able are excellent in the central roles, portraying believable characters that are easy to identify with. Able is particularly easy to warm to. It helps that she recalls a younger, more demure Cameron Diaz.

Those looking for a creature feature may be somewhat baffled by the lack of "action" for the most part, as MONSTERS very much relies more so on dialogue and quiet moments of social tension.

But fear not, the aliens do make their presence felt - and the FX are up to scratch when they do, in sequences that bring to mind DISTRICT 9 and CLOVERFIELD while retaining a distinction of their own.

Momentum's blu-ray is a very good disc, with just the one caveat regarding the audio.

The film comes presented uncut as a VC1 file, translated to disc in 1080p. Despite the meagre production costs, the film looks good in High Definition. The transfer is presented in 2.35:1, which appears accurate despite the film's true ratio apparently being 2.39:1. The picture is enhanced for 16x9 television sets, and is very bright during exterior daytime shots. Colours are strong and blacks are solid, although night scenes and interiors can look a tad murky (a by-product of the DV origins, I assume).

Audio-wise, MONSTERS comes equipped with an English soundtrack in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. This sounds perfectly good to my ears, though audiophiles will no doubt bemoan the fact that the US release apparently makes full use of blu-ray's capabilities by proffering a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix.

Optional English subtitles are provided, as is an audio descriptive track.

Extras begin with a commentary track from Edwards, Able and McNairy. It's an excellent track with plenty of fascinating titbits of information from Edwards throughout.

"Behind The Scenes" is a 55-minute documentary that does what its title suggests. It's an energetic and often witty look at the on-location shoot of MONSTERS, with everyone appearing to be in high spirits despite frequently not knowing quite what they're doing. It's a fantastic, comprehensive overview of the film's development - and better than the commentary track in this respect.

"Editing Monsters" is 23 more minutes with Edwards working alongside fellow Briton, editor Colin Gouldie, in a computer suite. Technical but absorbing, this offers another invalid insight into filmmaking at its most entrepreneurial.

"Monsters VFX" is another featurette whose title gives its game away. This one is 28 minutes long and begins with Edwards enthusiastically regaling us of his own start in films, before moving on to more impressive making-of footage and recollections.

The fun doesn't end there. The film's original trailer is a good example of how to entice an audience while giving nothing but a misleading title away.

And then there is FACTORY FARMED - Edwards' short film from 2008, made for the Sci-Fi London 48-hour Film Challenge that was sponsored by The Sci-Fi Channel.

It's only 5 minutes long but it's very good - I won't give anything away, other than it's a rather eerie sci-fi yarn with good gritty camerawork - and even comes with an optional introduction from the likeable Edwards.

Beyond the colourful animated main menu page, pop-up menus include a static scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 12 chapters.

There's also a trailer for the impressive lo-fi thriller CATFISH at the disc's start.

Who are the MONSTERS of Edwards' film? The aliens, or those who fail to pool together successfully to eradicate them? I recommend watching this and making your own mind up. Momentum's disc is a good one, packed with beneficial extras.

I can't help but think, however, that the US release may be the way to go for hardcore fans of the film.

Review by Stuart Willis