 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Monster
- Review Date: May 31, 2004
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Powerful, painful for mature audiences only.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
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.
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?
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.
What families can talk about
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?
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AGE
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.
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AGE
STUPID!!
Kids can watch but whats the point this movie is dumb. It just plain stinks
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AGE
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.
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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.
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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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| Studio: | Newmarket Film Group |
| Director: | Patty Jenkins |
| Cast: | Bruce Dern, Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 110 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 23, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | May 31, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language |
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