Monolith

Here's The 4K Lowedown on "Monolith" (R - 2022 - VOD)

Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi

My Score: 6.8 Cast=5 Acting=8 Trailer=7 Ending=5 Story=8 Visual=6 Direct=8 Sound=7 Genre=5 Sub-genre=9

A headstrong journalist whose investigative podcast uncovers a strange artifact, an alien conspiracy, and the lies at the heart of her own story.

"You have to stop what you're doing...you are in danger." What starts out slow begins to build...in intensity and suspense. When the sci-fi stuff started to kick in, I was fully on board...I couldn't wait for the ending. I think this just went a little too long and that caused the ending to be a little flat. This is available to rent on Prime for 3.99 and I feel this is worth a watch. I'll leave it up to you if you want to rent it or wait for it to appear on a streaming service.

Monolith maintains more of a single setting and person concept as it uncovers the mystery behind random blocks of black stone that just appear in people's lives.

The main character is a disgraced journalist that has moved to a new home that is more isolated to avoid the public. She is tasked with creating a new "mystery pod cast" and begins with these blocks.

As the film progresses, little details from talking with others who have found these blocks creates more uncertainty regarding what they are, why they are, and what do they do.

Monolith starts with a realistic focus on the main character and her stress from recent events of her problematic journalism. The film unfolds slowly around the bits of information and this leads us wanting to know more, but in this situation, there isn't clearer information.

If you are expecting tradition film plotting, don't watch this. If you want to experience the uncertainty and the mystery without needing an answer to resolve the tension, Monolith creates this atmosphere and suspense. Lily Sullivan as the lead character and only person on screen is captivating and holds this film with a tight grip even as she loses hold on her reality.

Can I honestly urge you to put aside an hour and a half of your life to watch this? No, I don't think so. There's nothing wrong with this film. I am old, and remember radio plays (honest, they were entertaining, and tested one's imagination) and this feels like one of those. There's nothing 'cinematic' about it. It has one idea, and does it quite well. Should you be stuck inside on a rainy day and you've done all your chores, go ahead. You won't regret it. But going for a walk, tidying your house, finishing those jobs are more important.

Well acted, well presented, nicely structured. A good ending (if you've been paying attention to the hints).

This is one of those movies that is surprisingly well done for a miniscule budget and, basically, one charachter on screen.

We have a tendency, these days, to watch movies with other things going on around us, this is not that kind of movie.

It would be great in a cinema but I doubt it will get a release there. Instead, be prepared to set up the room with no distractions, lower the lights and get into it. Remember Blair Witch, you need to be immersed.

If you do that then you will find a good story, well acted, some good clues but not much truly revealed, too early, and a pretty reasonable ending that ties it all together.

Whilst it is scifi, that is all in the concept rather than the action so its closer to a thriller than anything else.

With the cinematography, it was all too mono and dark. I guess they were trying to set a mood but it was the same throughout with no light and shade, just grey. This didn't suit the surroundings of a house with massive windows, in the open, and lost the chance to convey any passing of time from day to night and vice versa. With only one charachter for 90 minutes, it needed something more to vary the pace so they could have done a hell of a lot better with that and it would have driven the story.

If nothing else, I just love the house that the movie is set in.

With all that said, on the whole, it is well worth watching and deserving of a decent rating if it is watched as a movie should be. Its definitely not a 10 but is worth and hour and half of your life.

Again, this goes to show you don't need huge budgets to create good sci-fi. Absolute props to Lily Sullivan who's crushing it carrying the whole thing as a one-woman show. Now you have to know before you go in that it is extremely slow paced sci-fi with little to no special effects, and everything hinges on the atmosphere, closer to a psychological thriller in that way. In fact I find the poster for the movie a tad misleading. While it kept me engaged for the vast majority of the time, there are some pacing problems in certain places so that was unfortunate.

But overall it's definitely something I would recommend for people who can appreciate "non-flashy sci-fi".