Review of Monos (2019) by Sierra-117 — 17 Nov 2019

Alejandro Landes’s psychological thriller about the use of child soldiers in Columbian guerrilla warfare is an outstanding piece of cinema, delivering perhaps the most atmospheric and hypnotic experiences to ever grace the big screen.

The use of complex characters, excellent camerawork and an incredible score from Mica Levi completely immerses you in this brutal yet beautiful world, where children are kidnapped from their families and raised as soldiers.

An hour after leaving the cinema i’m still struggling to find words for how mesmerizing this experience was, drawing inspiration from classics like lord of the flies and apocalypse now. Every actor in this film was absolutely phenomenal, to the point that I almost forgot that I was watching the actors and not the real characters.

I will say, the actual plot of the movie wasn’t really a strong focus, as it was more character driven, and although this really works and gives it a unique structure at times it can feel a tad slow, but for me this was only a minor issue.

Other than that, I have no gripes. If you dislike foreign language films, or hate unpredictability in movies then I’d recommend you steer clear, but If you have even a remote interest in cinema I suggest you find a way to watch this quick.