The Monster
A24 | Release Date: November 11, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
4
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistAndrew CrumpNov 11, 2016
It’s what we don’t see, at least not in full, that makes the film scare so effectively. Bertino holds his monster in reserve, conceding its presence through brief and mostly obscured glimpses of its shape. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweNov 12, 2016
Deliberately skirting the Halloween horror corridor, Brian Bertino’s tautly composed monster movie serves as a brutally effective metaphor for the turmoil of adolescence, with all of its rebelliousness and confusion. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangNov 10, 2016
Not least of the surprises here is that even when The Monster is trying to scare you witless, its every scene insistently reaffirms its characters’ humanity. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChuck BowenNov 14, 2016
The film has an eerily WTF arbitrariness that should be the domain of more films in the genre. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoNov 11, 2016
The reason that The Monster works is because of how much Kazan’s performance captures the truth of the moment in which Kathy struggles. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyClark CollisNov 10, 2016
Like "The Strangers," the result is a simple but skillfully told shocker. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisNov 10, 2016
Part of the ticklish enjoyment in The Monster is how the director, Bryan Bertino (“The Strangers”), plays with genre registers and how, after opening with disquieting stillness and an isolated child, he slowly yet surely turns up the shrieks. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoNov 10, 2016
In the end, The Monster does more by way of thrilling tension and heartfelt admissions than it does through any scares, but that doesn’t make it a bad horror film. Bryan Bertino reveals a gushy soft side, only to tear out his heart and hoist it for all to see. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsEthan SacksNov 9, 2016
Bertino is just concerned with making you feel for his characters — and that he manages to do competently, despite their deep flaws. Well, that and spill some popcorn along the way. Read full review
58
ConsequenceRandall ColburnNov 11, 2016
The Monster is worth watching for Kazan and Ballentine. Read full review
58
The Film StageJared MobarakNov 11, 2016
The end result isn’t bad; its potential merely creates disappointment. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Nov 9, 2016
With The Monster, writer-director Bryan Bertino plants a prickly mother-daughter drama at the center of a violent creature feature. It’s an intriguing combination in theory, but the individual elements both feel a little half-baked, and stirring them up into one doesn’t help. They’re two mediocre tastes that taste mediocre together. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreNov 9, 2016
The Monster is as dull and predictable as its title, a creature feature in which the melodramatic flashbacks are the only bits with bite. Read full review
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