Young adult films typically follow a pretty familiar formula. A young person full of self-doubt finds themselves and, in the end, find their first, true love. While Love and Monsters follow the familiar formula, it hits some expected beats while still managing to surprise. Best of all, screenwriters Brian Duffield (The Babysitter) and Matthew Robinson (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) refuse to give in to narrative laziness as other YA films do.
Yet what makes Love and Monsters so great is that its heart is as big as the creatures in this “Monsterpocalypse” world. The film doesn’t shy away from the tragedy and loss of the world’s dire situation, but Love and Monsters still end up as an emotionally uplifting film with a positive message. Director Michael Matthews finds all of the emotional beats while driving home the film’s uplifting themes of finding your inner courage and finding a family through others. For a film that’s eerily familiar to what happened in 2020, Love and Monsters manages to be a light in a year full of darkness.
Star Dylan O’Brien once again to show off his acting chops. O’Brien has had numerous big-screen misfires, but he has always done well with what he’s been given. It’s no different here. O’Brien is instantly likable as our happy-go-lucky and charming narrator. Not to mention, his hilarious self-deprecation and mishaps add a lot to his appeal. He’s not the annoyingly overconfident loser stereotype who often takes center stage in movies like this.
Overall, Love and Monsters is a film that does some original and unexpected things with the story, and it’s such a blast. This coming-of-age kaiju film entertains, thrills, and tugs at the heartstrings. It’s the kind of film that we definitely needed in the rotten year that was 2020. Who knew that a monster film where most of the human population are gone would be so uplifting?
Movie Rating: 4/5 atoms
Video
Love and Monsters hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an HDR transfer and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The picture has a divine medium-high contrast, which leads to some super bright whites and deep black shadows. As the film’s setting is set within the bunkers, the blacks look inky without a hint of crush in these areas. When Joel goes to the surface, the brightness of the environment is perfect. The whites gleam off the screen — something you can see in the skies. The sun shines, and the clouds are still visible in these areas. The colors are also so rich and vibrant, especially the greens. The natural greenery pops with more intensity across the board. The details of the dirt and grime on the faces are razor-sharp. Overall, this is a nice looking presentation.
Video Rating: 5/5 atoms
Audio
Love and Monsters hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Yes, you read that right. The Ultra HD release of Love and Monsters comes with a 7.1 DTS-HD audio mix instead of a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X mix. It’s a shame, but that doesn’t mean that the audio mix isn’t great. In fact, it’s very, very good. The lively mix features a ton of immersive and enjoyable moments that enhances the experience of the film. The noise coming from the monsters, whether static in a single speaker or panning around from speaker to speaker, is fluid and seamless throughout. Not to mention, these accurate sound effects expand the soundstage. During the quieter moments, the atmospheric effects along with Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp’s score fill up the soundstage too. The dialogue is clean and clear, with no muffled voices all around. Although it’s disappointing to see a new genre film released without a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X audio mix, this audio mix is still spectacular.
Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms
Special Features
Love and Monsters‘ Ultra HD Blu-ray disc doesn’t have any special features on it. However, you can find the following special features on the 1080p Blu-ray disc:
- Deleted Scenes
- Hopeless Romantic
- Without Love, What’s the Point?
- Car Critter
- Good Luck Charm
- You Guys are Safe Now
- Back at the Bunker
- Bottom of the Food Chain: The Cast of Love and Monsters
- It’s a Monster’s World: Creating a Post-Apocalyptic Landscape
As you can tell from the list above, there aren’t a ton of bonus features in this release, which is kind of disappointing to see. All of the deleted scenes are stuff that never adds any substance to the theatrical cut of the film. “Bottom of the Food Chain” primarily focuses on the actors talking about their characters and their place in the film. “It’s a Monster’s World” is the traditional behind-the-scenes featurette that takes a look at the entire production process.
Special Features Rating: 2.5/5 atoms
Overall, Love and Monsters is one of those coming-of-age kaiju film entertains, thrills, and tugs at the heartstrings. Both the video and audio presentations are superb, but unfortunately, the special features are severely lacking.
Overall Rating: 4/5 atoms
Love and Monsters hits stores on January 5th.
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Paramount Home Entertainment.
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