So Love and Monsters (2020) dropped on Netflix recently, and it instantly caught my eye. I’m a fan of all things apocalyptic, and the premise sounded very familiar to a light-hearted Fallout.
The movie is directed by Michael Matthews, featuring the popular Dylan O’Brien as Joel as he sets off to reunite with his girlfriend Aimee – played by Jessica Henwick after the apocalypse.
The premise had my interest from the get-go. An asteroid that was headed to Earth releases a chemical fallout after being destroyed, which mutates animals into large monsters!
As the apocalypse kicks in, humanity has to take refuge in bunkers (Fallout much?) known as “colonies”. Seven years later, Joel sets off on a quest to reunite with his pre-apocalypse girlfriend Aimee.
Love and Monsters does an incredible job at introducing the world and setting the different rules. The mutated monster designs are all pretty unique and kick-ass too!
The visual effects look top tier, and the monsters have me wanting to see more. The action scenes in the movie are also well done and creative.
Despite the story being fairly light-hearted, I still found myself getting invested into the characters. The movie knows when to take things seriously, and hit the emotional notes.
Love and Monsters really channels A Boy and His Dog with the main character Joel and… well his dog companion. The movie feels like a love letter to apocalyptic works that came before.
It also works great as a genre mash-up. The movie blends together the best of adventure, romance and horror. Love and Monsters is a great romp with a boy and his dog on a quest for love!
The movie is just incredibly fun. Aside from a few obvious writing and clichés there isn’t anything I’d change about Love and Monsters. Sure it might not be super artsy and philosophical, but it’s fun from top to bottom.
Love and Monsters manages to capture lightning in a bottle. The world is interesting, and the movie is just pure fun. Although it isn’t likely, I’d love to see a sequel! If you want to learn more about the movie – here’s the trailer: