An R-rated Beauty and the Beast romcom that works, even when it needs an attitude adjustment.
When I handed my business card (which promotes this website and NEWHD Radio) to this cool bartender in Chicago, he asked me how I get into reviewing movies. My answer was: I see a lot of movies, took some journalism classes, and even learned from some greats who aren’t with us (I’m talking about Siskel & Ebert). He also asked me what I look for in movies? My answer: originality. And finally, he asked me how if I would be disappointed if I could predict the movie’s formula, and my answer was: it all depends on how the writers and directors handle the subject matter. And there are cliches I can handle and some I can do without.
Sorry to bore you readers with my introduction, but I needed an excuse to explain to you my reaction towards the new romcom “Your Monster,” which likes to take a different approach to the “Beauty and the Beast” story. You know almost like how “Anora” recently handled the “Cinderella” genre. And even though the behaviors can be overbearing, it still takes a break from cliches and gives it a better spin than how “Lisa Frankenstein” handled the Frankenstein romance last February.
The movie’s beast has no explanation for how he became so harry, although he does remember the beauty from her childhood. But the beauty comes in the form of Melissa Barrera, who has given herself a name in the horror genre with the “Scream” movies and more recently “Abigail.” She plays a young actress and cancer survivor named Laura Franco, whose playwright boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan) dumps her during her treatment. Now, with all this baggage, her life begins to deteriorate. And then, on a dark and stormy night, she finds a monster in her closet upstairs. Where else would monsters live in?
This monster (Tommy Dewey), who lives with no talking clocks or teacups, looks like if the Dude from “The Big Lebowski” got his face disguised by Rick Baker. But he turns out to be a bratty jerk, who wants her out of her house. He’s now in charge, but he lets her stay for two weeks on the condition that she stays out of his way, not tell him what to do, and never tell anyone about him.
Their connection manages to restart her passion for singing and music. You know the Belle and Beast chemistry. She even auditions for Jacob’s play, which has her being the understudy for actress Jackie Dennon (Meghann Fahy), who is playing the role he wrote for Laura.
“Your Monster” is the feature debut for Caroline Lindy, whose background consists of short films like “With You” and “Aspirational Slut.” The story can be overbearing with the girl’s negativity and the monster’s attitude, which left me a bit cynical. But after thinking about what I said above this review, I realized that it likes to explore its options. It regards how the monster helps the girl regain her voice, how she deals with her ex, and how this particular story doesn’t need to be obvious or the same. And Barrera and Dewey are both excellent the way they shift their tones, and how they deliver their emotions, deadpan humor, and attitudes within their characters.
Thinking what I said about “Your Monster” and “Anora” taking on fairytales, they do not have to be obligatory and they don’t need cliches to kept the spirits alive. They need to take us to places we have been before, but acknowledge that they have never existed in those stories to begin with. I don’t know if this sounds confusing to you readers, but to clarify, would the beast like sesame chicken and would Cinderella be a stripper? Probably in these films.
