Monster

"No one has any idea who I am."

2021 1h 38m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🍅

68%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 114🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●56Metacritic★6.5IMDB · 7,203

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of Steve Harmon, a 17-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder.

“No one has any idea who I am.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Steve Harmon
Jeffrey Wright
Mr. Harmon
Jennifer Hudson
Mrs. Harmon
Jennifer Ehle
Katherine O'Brien
Tim Blake Nelson
Leroy Sawicki
John David Washington
Richard 'Bobo' Evans
A$AP Rocky
William King
Lovie Simone
Renee Pickford

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anthony Mandler
Writers: Radha Blank, Janece Shaffer, Colen C. Wiley
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Anthony Mandler, shot by David Devlin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harvey Mason Jr.. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joe Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "No one has any idea who I am.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2850272 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anthony Mandler directs. David Devlin behind the camera. Harvey Mason Jr. scores. Joe Klotz cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United States of America.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 5 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
3Directed by Anthony Mandler, shot by David Devlin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Harvey Mason Jr.. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Joe Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "No one has any idea who I am.".
8IMDB entry: tt2850272 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: David Devlin
Original score: Harvey Mason Jr.
Editing: Joe Klotz
Production design: Jeremy Reed
Costume design: Mobolaji Dawodu
Makeup / hair: Heidi Pakdel
Sound: Tom Fleischman
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Monster (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 56/100
IMDB rating: 6.5/10 · 7,203 votes
MPAA: Unrated

Awards

1 nomination total

Also by

Anthony Mandler

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2021-05-09
★ 5/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com I've written this a thousand times, but I'll repeat it once again: I absolutely love one-location movies. I don't know exactly if most of Monster is actually developed inside the courtroom, but it genuinely feels like it. In fact, I believe every scene outside this place is told through extended flashbacks with narration from Steve Harmon about what happened before and on the day of the crime. Since the protagonist is a film student, his voice-over contains descriptions often seen in screenplays, which it's pleasant at first, but then gets overdone. The trial is definitely the most captivating part of the story. Anthony Mandler and his team of writers demonstrate perfectly some real-life aspects of how the law works. From the well-known emotional disconnect of (some) lawyers with their clients to the prejudiced treatment of people of color, the courtroom sequences keep the movie interesting until its somewhat predictable, unsurprising conclusion. However, despite the exceptional performances from everyone involved, especially Kelvin Harrison Jr., the case itself wraps up with unanswered questions and some messages lost in the transmission. While the viewers spend the entire runtime following Steve being a good son, brother, and friend, the other Black characters being accused don't receive the same treatment. At one point in the film, someone says "you must consider him innocent until evidence proves him guilty", but this only applies to the protagonist since everyone else is presumed to be guilty from the get-go without the audience ever seeing or hearing their point of view or knowing why they committed that crime. Furthermore, even though the viewers get to know the verdict, Steve's true impact on the murder remains questionable due to the last couple of flashbacks, which begs the question: "are we really supposed to root for him?" Rating: C.

Production companies