Francesca Steele iNews.co.uk Dec 10, 2024 2/5

The questions Anthony Mandler's movie asks are all lost, as style overshadows substance.

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Roxana Hadadi Vague Visages Feb 7, 2024

Monster seems like it doesn’t trust itself to connect with viewers without over-explanation.

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M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut Oct 9, 2022 3.5/5

Monster is a flawed, but effective drama about race and judgment that is layered between the lines of every level of the law.

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Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 17, 2022 3.5/5

Based on a Walter Dean Myers novel of the same name, “Monster” maneuvers through its sometimes heavy-handed dialogue to deliver a well-meaning and often crushingly effective legal drama.

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Josh Parham Next Best Picture Jun 5, 2022 6/10

There are some decent performances here, and the courtroom tension in the second half is provocative.

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Ro Moore What To Watch Mar 5, 2022 3.5/5

Monster is more a cautionary tale of how naivete and questionable company can lead you to places you never wanted to go. And leave you dangerously at the mercy of a criminal system designed to paint you as less than human

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Carolyn Hinds But Why Tho? Jul 20, 2021 7.5/10

Harrison Jr. gives a powerful performance as a young man who finds his worldview shattered by betrayal, insecurity, anger, fear, doubt, and guilt.

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Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Jun 22, 2021 2.5/5

A true waste of talent for a film that does not bother, but that does not take off either. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Brandon Collins Medium Popcorn May 21, 2021 4/5

The pacing of the film is a bit fractured and was frustrating at times but director Anthony Mandler handles the screenplay with an honest lens. "Monster" may not be the easiest watch but it is very much worth it.

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Jennifer Green Common Sense Media May 17, 2021 4/5

This drama may start from a familiar premise, but it quickly evolves into a thought-provoking, suspenseful, and skillfully acted drama.

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Frank Wilkins Reel Reviews May 14, 2021 3/5

With an over-abundance of courtroom dramas and social justice pieces in today's cinematic landscape, we really didn't need another. Then again, with a message that continues to be so chronically relevant some three years after its debut, perhaps we did

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Joshua Robinson Thrillist May 14, 2021

Monster is a movie that should be studied, debated, and, most importantly, watched with bated breath.

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Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall May 13, 2021 3.5/5

Told out of sequence, the story is packed with powerful moments as it explores a dark side of America's judicial system through remarkably clear eyes.

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Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion May 13, 2021 B

Some may find the flashy technique distracting [but] bolstered by Harrison's powerful performance and an array of strong supporting turns, 'Monster' emerges as a perceptive and challenging tale.

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Carla Renata The Curvy Film Critic May 13, 2021

The premise may be recycled, but the performance of Kelvin Harrison, Jr. is anything but! His talent soars beyond his years and Monster sheds light on an age old issue that needs an overhaul

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Kate Erbland IndieWire May 12, 2021 C+

Three years is a long time, especially these days, but even in 2018, reviews of the film balked at its gloominess and distracting filmmaking. It has not aged well.

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Aaron Neuwirth We Live Entertainment May 12, 2021 5/10

As it stands, the film is more interesting for the conversations it can introduce than its cinematic quality.

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Sean Collier Box Office Prophets May 11, 2021 6/10

There's an easy path to drama in a story such as this, and it's followed, thoughtfully.

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Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com May 11, 2021 3/5

While more of an interesting conversation piece than the accomplished melodrama it deserves to be, Anthony Mandler makes his directorial debut with Monster.

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Lindsey Bahr Associated Press May 11, 2021 2.5/4

Despite some shortcomings though, "Monster" remains a worthy watch if just for Harrison's performance.

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