Monster (R, 2003)

common sense media says

Powerful, painful for mature audiences only.


parents & educators say
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film is for viewers 17 and up only. The main character in this fact-based story is a serial killer and a prostitute. The movie has explicit sexual references and situations, including gay sex, prostitution, and rape, extremely strong language, violence (including a brutal rape and several murders), smoking and drinking. There are tense and upsetting scenes.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Extremely graphic violence, including rape, murders. Many tense and upsetting scenes.
Sex: Explicit sexual references and situations, including sexual assault, prostitution, gay sex.
Language: Extreme and constant strong language.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters drink and smoke a lot, drug references.

More on Monster

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about who is the "monster." If it is Aileen, what made her that way? What could have prevented it? In what ways is the movie sympathetic to Aileen, and in what ways is it not? How can you tell?

What's the story?

What's the story?
MONSTER depicts the story of the woman called America's first female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), who was abused as a child and began turning tricks at age 13. She thinks she has nothing to live for until she meets Shelby (Christina Ricci), a shy and needy lesbian. Even though Aileen is not gay, she is drawn to Shelby. For a moment, it seems that she can find a new life for herself. But she has no skills and no capacity to get a legitimate job. She is forced to go back to prostitution to take care of Shelby, and when a customer rapes and beats her, she snaps, and she kills him. She takes his money and his car. And then she begins to entrap and kill more men, each less justified than the last as she becomes more desperate and ultimately delusional.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Glamour girl Charlize Theron's breathtaking, heartbreaking transformation into the completely opposite image of Wuornos makes this film an astonishing achievement. The movie wisely does not pretend to explain what was going on in the mind and soul of a woman who was mentally ill. Unlike the similar Boys Don't Cry however, it is unable to elevate the facts into a larger story about identity and intimacy.

What makes the movie worthwhile is Theron's performance, open, vulnerable, tragic, moving, and most of all, honest. Aileen's behavior is contradictory, volatile, and disturbed. She loses control and lashes out irrationally. There are moments when I was not sure whether Theron was acting or just trying to keep her dental appliance from slipping, and no one could make some of those voiceover speeches work, but with the ferocity of her grip on the character she never lets us lose sight of Aileen's humanity. Theron's portrait of Aileen is sympathetic without pretending that she is more of a victim than the men she killed.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Newmarket Film Group
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Bruce Dern, Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci
Genre: Drama
Run time: 110 minutes
Theatrical release: December 23, 2003
DVD release: May 31, 2004
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language

This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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What parents & educators say

17
Based on 3 parent & educator reviews:
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue
  • 33% say language is an issue
  • 33% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking

Most useful reviews by all members

 
This film was excellent. I don't recommend it for anyone under the age of 17. There are sexual situations, violence, foul language, and scenes that are hard to watch. It portrays the last couple of years of the life of Aileen Wournos, a prostitute who was driven to become a serial killer. She was not psychotic until a customer brutally tortured and raped her. He drove her to her breaking point and she shot him several times. That scene was particularly disturbing, and makes us feel that if we were in her shoes, we would have done the same thing. It also shows the love aileen had towards her girlfriend, selby, and in fact does not make us look at her as if she were a monster. Charlize theron is phenomenal, and the movie overall was well executed.

 
STUPID!!
Kids can watch but whats the point this movie is dumb. It just plain stinks

pineapplejuicexo
teen, 18 years old
 
really gross and graphic!
i mean, i get it the movie was a true story. but it was disturbing, and disgusting. i am fourteen years old and i was completely horrified when i watched this, movies really need labels. I suggest no one under 16 watches this.

 
i am 14 and i though it was an ok movie, wasnt great but than it wasen't bad. most parents would not let there kids watch this movie for many reasons. but it was good.

Horselovera9
kid, 13 years old
 
This movie disgusts me!
Woah! This was a really bad movie! I watched it by accidently. My mother was watching it and I was in the room. She did tell me to cover my eyes at the groteque and disturbing points. It was way too violent and there was a large amount of swearing. The amount of sexual content was unbelievable. I read a lot and I am a strait A student and in 6th grade. Believe me, I've read, seen, heard, and watched a lot of disturbing things in my 11 years. I cannot believe this movie has won so many awards. I found the following on another site. "I don't recommend it for anyone under the age of 17. There are sexual situations, violence, foul language, and scenes that are hard to watch. It portrays the last couple of years of the life of Aileen Wournos, a prostitute who was driven to become a serial killer. She was not psychotic until a customer brutally tortured and raped her. He drove her to her breaking point and she shot him several times. That scene was particularly disturbing, and makes us feel that if we were in her shoes, we would have done the same thing. It also shows the love aileen had towards her girlfriend, Selby, and in fact does not make us look at her as if she were a monster. Charlize theron is phenomenal, and the movie overall was well executed" Now that I realize it, the person below me also has this article. Anyways, please compliment and review me! Hope this helps you make the right choice. Don't see this terrible movie!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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