Monsters

I've wanted to see Monsters I first saw the trailer. I almost paid $10 to rent it from iTunes before it was in theaters, but my inner cheapskate won out. Since my ability to get to the theater lately is nill, I was forced to wait for it to wait for it to be on pay per view. I got lucky though and it showed up on Netflix(in HD) at about the same time.
Monsters is billed as a smart, independent monster movie that was made for a pittance. The film maker did the special effects on a MacBook Pro and they look as good as anything being out out by the big studios. The movie delivers on its promises except for the one in the title.
There are monsters and they are big and scary, but they are not the focus of the movie. It is also possible that the title is a metaphor. The monsters are the backdrop for a quest story. The main action of the story is two people, one rich and one poor, trying to get home. The journey is perilous because they must cross a quarantine zone that is populated by the monsters of the title. There is also tension in the journey because home is fraught with complications for both characters.
The thing that makes the movie is the relationship between the central charters as they travel through the quarantine zone. The actors, who are a real life couple, bring the rawness and complexity of their charters to life. The male lead is a war photographer who has been sidelined by his employer. He is tasked by his employer to bring the employers daughter home. The daughter is in South America for unknown reasons and does not seem thrilled to be going home.
As the journey progresses, we learn why they are both so raw. We are also presented with subtle commentary on war and futility.
I highly recommend renting Monsters.