Film review: Monsters

In British director Gareth Edwards’ budget feature film Monsters, part of Mexico is infected with alien life forms when a probe launched to collect evidence of their existence crash lands back on Earth. Several years later, photojournalist Andrew Kaulder played by Scoot McNairy is given the task of escorting his newspaper proprietor’s daughter Sam (Whitney Able)  back to the US border safely. However they end up having to cross Mexico’s infected zone. A road movie and evidence of a little romance starts up with the back drop of dangerous extra-terrestrials. What’s most amazing is the convincing acting skills of the ordinary Mexican people who are persuaded to act in the movie and also the computer-generated special effects for the monsters. The leads aren’t quite so fascinating though they keep us watching. I’m also perplexed as to why the monsters never really attack them. That shall remain a mystery.