Young theatre actress Laura (Melissa Barrera) is down on her luck. She’s undergoing cancer
treatment, her douchebag boyfriend dumped her and shortly thereafter she also learned said
boyfriend won’t be giving her the part in the upcoming musical he’s directing (and originally
wrote for her to star in). One night the terrifying monster (Tommy Dewey) who used to hide
underneath Laura’s bed when she was a child barges into her already muddled life. They end
up cohabiting during the next two weeks which in typical fashion starts off as an unavoidable
and bothersome arrangement but inevitably develops more romantic properties.
Your Monster is incredibly charming mainly thanks to the two leads who make every scene
together a veritable pleasure to behold. Laura is initially rather meek and depressed which
makes sense considering the circumstances. The monster on the other hand is very
assertive and even comes across as a bit of a brute at first but as the story progresses, a
softer more comforting side of his persona is revealed. In parallel she is reinvigorated by his
presence and through the course of those two weeks she manages to recover some grit and
resolve of which she was in dire need.
It’s a nothing we’ve never seen before, but both actors do a tremendous job portraying their
respective characters with great vitality making their interaction feel very spontaneous which
just makes it so much fun to watch. Whether we’re to believe he is an actual entity part of the
physical world or just an anthropomorphised projection of her mental processes at work, is
kept vague enough for both scenarios to be enjoyed regardless of how you interpret it.
This film is funny and cute but also edgy and at times even quite dark. The tone sways a bit
all over the place and particularly the ending explores some unconventional territory but I had
a really good time nevertheless and will certainly suggest this one to my raison d’être for date
night as soon it’s available.
