It’s October! It’s time to attempt to watch 31 new-to-me horror movies in a month. I’ve done it before and I can do it again! To kick things off, I decided to go light with a movie that HBO has tagged as a horror comedy. I really didn’t know anything about Your Monster going into it. I watched the trailer and thought it looked decent and I like that actress from Edge of Seventeen and Sinners. If you know the movie, you might have noticed the error in my previous sentence. Turns out Melissa Barrera is NOT Hailee Steinfeld! Maybe they’re identical cousins. Maybe my brain doesn’t work right and they don’t really look that much alike. Either way, I watched Your Monster and I’m writing about it now. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Laura is an actress whose greatest dream is to star in a Broadway musical. Her boyfriend, Jacob, is a playwright. Together they create a show with a main character written just for her. Unfortunately, she gets diagnosed with cancer and must undergo treatments and surgery. This is too much for Jacob, so he breaks off their 5 year relationship. She endures treatments/procedures and is released from the hospital. Her best friend Maize picks her up and dumps her at her absentee mother’s house to go to karate class or something equally unimportant. After a few days of continuous weeping, Laura runs into the monster that lives in her bedroom closet. He is a dick at first but they reach a co-living truce. Hoping to reclaim the role that was written for her, Laura auditions for Jacob’s play. She doesn’t get the role but she does secure a spot in the cast and is made understudy to the main character. As opening night approaches, her relationship with Monster grows and her resentment toward her ex, her neglectful best friend, and the actress given her part does too. Monster becomes a catalyst for big (and occasionally violent) changes in her life.
I want to point out that this is not a horror movie right at the top of this critique section. Well, not really anyway. There is no dread. There is no real fear. And the only peril is emotional. But don’t sleep on this movie based on that! It’s actually a really sweet rom-com that happens to have a supernatural monster in it. And it does have a tiny bit of gore. Where this movie succeeds is in keeping its focus squarely on Barrera’s character. She is at a low point in her life. She’s in cancer limbo after treatments and surgery; she’s lost her long-term, live-in partner; her friend hasn’t been supportive; and her mom’s only show of support is to send pies and a check for a few thousand dollars. At first she is content just to be a part of her ex’s show and to be understudy to the character written for her and co-written by her. As she begins to regain some independence and self-worth, the injustice of it all becomes clear to her. Her resident monster helps her along that path through his support and friendship (and violence). We’ve certainly seen the trope of enemies becoming friends (or more than friends) before, but Your Monster gives us a glimpse into why that trope is so persistent. Laura is able to be her authentic self around Monster. She doesn’t care what he thinks of her (at first) because she doesn’t like him. And he still ends up liking her anyway. The character is flawed and messy. Just like a real person would be. It’s too rare for a character in an independent horror (adjacent) film to be so well fleshed out. It’s refreshing! And the film’s commentary on female stories being told by men is subtle but unmissable. That’s especially prevalent in horror! I specifically set out to watch a movie I hadn’t heard of directed by a woman and after browsing through dozens of movies with female protagonists (figuring that was my best bet), this is the first one I found. It’s 2025. Why the fuck are women’s stories still overwhelmingly directed by men? Come on. (ok, i’ll put my soapbox back in the garage now)
The Final Cut: Your Monster is a touching rom-com with a tinge of horror. It is an especially great date night movie for partners who are at opposite ends of the horror appreciator spectrum.
No Real Danger 