Movie Review ~ Your Monster

Beloved horror comedies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors have become cinema classics not only because they survived years of midnight screenings and cult fanbases but also because they had catchy songs and characters with flair.  The familiar trope of a tender-hearted (or empty-bellied) monster helping a lost soul find their voice gets a charming twist in Your Monster, a film I first saw during its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January.  I wondered what had happened to Caroline Lindy‘s feature debut since then, an adaptation of her 2020 short praised for being a sharp, modern riff on the beauty meets beast motif.

While picked up for distribution by Vertical shortly after the festival, the company wisely decided to hold the film until late fall to capitalize on the upcoming Halloween holiday, and a lull in the release schedule before the glitzy awards contenders start their red-carpet rides into theaters.  It’s a bright idea that should pay off nicely for this quirky blend of delightful romance, oddball horror, and amusingly strange backstage musical. 

As she is in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery, soft-spoken Laura Franco’s (Melissa Barrera, Carmen) longtime boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan, Civil War) dumps her, leaving her devastated and alone to recover at her childhood home.  Best friend and fellow actress, Mazie (Kayla Foster), says she’s Laura’s “ride or die” and will never leave her side…as she’s walking out the door to an audition.  Unable to fully process the break-up, Laura is dealt another blow when she learns that the Broadway-bound musical she had developed with Jacob is moving on without her.

It’s around this time that Laura begins to hear strange noises from upstairs and, upon further investigation, finds an actual Monster (Tommy Dewey, Book Club) in her closet.  Though he tells her they have met several times during childhood and adolescence, Laura has blocked these memories and ignores his requests to leave.  Butting heads at first, the two eventually find common ground while watching an old MGM musical, and a friendship and understanding develop.  With Monster helping Laura channel her inner rage and reclaim her power, she feels emboldened to go to the auditions being held for the role she was promised, only to clam up and see the part go to the toast of the town Jackie Dennon (Meghann Fahy, Miss Sloane).

Given a part in the ensemble and covering the lead to compensate, Laura spends her days with her ex and nights with Monster, seeing them both in very different lights.  The closer she gets to comfort with her Monster, the more autonomy she gains in speaking her mind to Jacob and letting him know how his actions hurt her.  It’s clear (and I know this from the press notes, so I also cheated) that Lindy is telling a deeply personal story, and much of Laura’s battle to take back power is drawn from Lindy’s own experiences.  In expanding her short by 80 minutes, Lindy explores more emotional terrain while maintaining the whimsical charm that made the original so enjoyable.  The Broadway-adjacent plot feels like a natural extension of Laura’s journey, adding a layer of satirical fun to her path of self-discovery.  After all, theater has always thrived on larger-than-life characters, and here, that is taken quite literally.

Barrera’s performance soars in both the film’s comedic moments and its more dramatic beats, particularly when she belts out an 11 o’clock number with passion and, in true horror-comedy fashion, a bit of blood. Skillfully balancing the heartbreak with the resilience to recover her voice, she’s captivating to watch throughout.  Even under heavy prosthetics courtesy of AFX Studio (a make-up FX shop run by David Anderson and his wife, horror royalty and Nightmare on Elm Street star Heather Langenkamp Anderson), Dewey’s portrayal radiates warm humor and charisma that is impossible to resist, creating an odd but always endearing dynamic between the two leads that makes you root for their strange partnership.  While Barrera shines, Dewey’s Monster steals the show, providing levity and emotional depth in critical moments, such as his spontaneous recitation of Shakespeare.

Technically, the film is as scrappy as it is imaginative. The production design transforms Laura’s childhood home into a magical and profoundly nostalgic space, a perfect backdrop for the story’s blend of the surreal and the emotional. Matthew Simonelli‘s costume design for Laura, with her Holly Hobby-esque wardrobe, adds a touch of sad fantasy to her character’s recovery, grounding the more unbelievable elements in emotional reality. It’s one of those small but thoughtful touches that deepens the film’s quirky tone without feeling forced.

What makes Your Monster stand out in a crowded field of horror comedies is its ability to use supernatural elements to explore relatable human struggles. It’s not just about Laura’s journey to Broadway (original songs by The Lazours blend seamlessly into the story) but about taking back what was unceremoniously yanked from her when she was at her weakest—a cathartic process with the help of a monster who’s less concerned with destruction and more about emotive empowerment. The film cleverly balances its darker elements with humor, offering a sharp commentary on the creative process and personal growth. 

By the time the final curtain falls, Your Monster has delivered a thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly touching story about finding the guts to use your voice in whatever key you are comfortable with.  It’s funny, weird, and undeniably fun—a film that embraces its offbeat premise and invites the audience to tag along and see how it all turns out!