Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Scary horror thriller may spook sensitive viewers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Monstrous
What's the Story?
In MONSTROUS, traumatized mother Laura Butler (Christina Ricci) flees her abusive husband, taking her son, Cody (Santini Barnard), to start a new life in a quiet town. But Cody is certain there's a bigger threat at the quaint farm house they've rented: the monster who lurks around the property's pond.
Is It Any Good?
Director Chris Sivertson takes the monster movie to a new, more sophisticated level in Monstrous. The movie's creature is likely to freak out young teens, who may not appreciate the movie's upside-down story. But parents will not only appreciate the plot; they're also the ones who will feel their hearts ripped out as the film, and Laura, unspools.
Part of screenwriter Carol Chrest's cleverness is setting the film in the 1950s. Pop culture tends to reimagine the mid-century as a time and place that was perfect. Laura is striving to be the perfect mom, to have the perfect house, to raise the perfect child, and for them to have a perfect life. When that's not what life hands her, she's determined to start over and make it so. It's relatable, and seeing it all through the lens of the era helps drive home the familiar internal nagging that we must try harder -- i.e., surely, if we wear a lovely pressed dress and the right shade of lipstick, create enviably cute party invitations, and pack a lunch just like our kids like it, our family will be happy. The script messes with us as we wonder whether the monster is real, imagined, or something in between. It's a different kind of scare, reminding us that danger is everywhere, even in our backyard, but we can't let the horrors of reality consume us.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why "monsters" scare us, whether we're kids who think something is under the bed or we're watching a movie with a clearly fictional creature. What monster movies have you seen?
How are the 1950s depicted in Monstrous? Why is that era so often considered such a wholesome, happy era? What were the realities of that time? How does the media play into artificially idealized depictions?
How does Monstrous tackle the subjects of grief and loss? Does it seem different from other movies?
What are your beliefs about the afterlife?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 13, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : July 5, 2022
- Cast : Christina Ricci , Santino Barnard , Colleen Camp
- Director : Chris Sivertson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Screen Media
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : terror, thematic elements and brief violence
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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