AGuyNamedJake

The most unexpected thing about "Love and Monsters" is how charmingly enjoyable it is throughout. Whether it's the well-fleshed out characters (the dog being the clear standout with probably the best arc in the whole movie), the fun monster slayings, or the amusing happenstance luck of the self-deprecating protagonist, there's not much left to hate in this otherwise simple movie.

OBLIGATORY PLOT RECAP: A catastrophe mutates and enlarges all the bugs on Earth who then wipe out 95% of the human population. Seven years into the apocalypse, a hopelessly love-struck dork named Joel sets out across a dangerous Earth to reunite with the girl from his past.

THE GOODEST STUFF: The pacing is tight, meaning there isn't a single scene that doesn't drive the story forward or develop the characters in some way. Nobody feels wasted, and the script gives you a real good sense of what each person is like, even if they're playing to somewhat of a stereotype (like the smart-mouthed 8-year-old survivalist girl whose all the amounts of plucky we've seen before, and yet still a scene-stealer.)

And can I say how refreshing it is to see a post-apocalyptic movie like this where every human isn't a murdering bastard who is just out for his or herself? The humans in this movie are actually helpful to each other, you know, in the way that most humans are in emergency situations. Imagine that!

Surprisingly, the movie pulls off several tonal shifts that are quick and well-executed. You'll be laughing one moment, terrified the next, and then almost in tears after certain flashbacks bare a character's soul in an unexpectedly touching way. It's the best kind of rollercoaster ride because it hits all the right emotional beats, even if, in the end, it does feel kind of small.

Which is probably my biggest complaint...

THE WORSTEST STUFF: "Love and Monsters" feels like it has a much bigger world to explore than the 80+ miles of terrain our hero journeys across. I mean, it's not like a ton more exposition is necessary, but the story alludes to other survivors out there and hints at an ending that we don't really get to see. Its story is essentially a VERY small piece of what looks like a much bigger puzzle. It's not enough to ruin the movie by any means, but the "smallness" is enhanced by a couple of hasty editing choices and a third act that feels a bit tacked-on when there is more interesting stuff to explore.

CONCLUSION: "Love and Monsters" is sincere in its sweetness without being sickeningly so. It's got a great sense of humor, an extremely likable cast, and a fresh take on the post-apocalypse genre. It's the perfect feel-good movie for 2020 with a clear message that may or may not have been intentional: enough hiding; it's time to get out there and live your life.

I've pretty much seen everything the werewolf genre can throw at me, so it's with confidence that I say "The Wolf of Snow Hollow" entertains and surprises in many deeply gory ways.

Unfortunately, it disappoints in lots of ways also.

OBLIGATORY PLOT RECAP: Over the course of several full moons, a bunch of young women are brutally murdered in the otherwise quiet town of Snow Hollow by what appears to be a large wolf. One misfit cop is on the case, determined to prove that the killer is nothing more than a man.

It's hard to say whether or not I liked this movie. When it impressed me, it REALLY impressed me. But everything in between left me with a big hairball of "Meh."

THE GOODEST STUFF: Practical werewolf effects win every time. Hands down. And so it is for true fans of the genre that I shout an emphatic: "WATCH THIS MOVIE NOW!" "The Wolf of Snow Hollow" has the best practical werewolf effects I've seen in recent years. Nothing since "Dog Soldiers" has looked this good. The gore effects are impressive and the movie's overall visual style is fittingly mysterious, bleak, and visceral.

THE NON-GOODEST STUFF: As other reviews have pointed out, this movie is a tonal mess. When it commits to being a horror movie it's fantastic, but, unfortunately, it treats those moments of horror as setups for a sitcom-esque punchline that never comes. The brutal deaths of young women are handled flippantly and with little remorse. Even the main characters don't seem to carry the full weight of the trauma in a realistic way. The movie tries to walk the fine line between horror and comedy, but I just didn't find anything funny about it.

As usual in a movie like this, you've got a cast of characters that never make very good decisions. (Why in the name of all Americans in London would you get out of your car on a dark snowy road to investigate a dead animal while you have a baby in the backseat? I grew up in rural New England. Nobody I knew ever made it a practice to walk up to large roadkill, especially not at night when there are reports of a humongous killer wolf roaming about. Jeeze!) But maybe these moments were part of the horror/comedy vibe the movie was going for.

The ending, too, was ultimately a letdown, but I can't say why without getting into spoilers. Let me just say that if someone served you a bowl of wolf meat stew but didn't actually put any wolf meat in it, would you be disappointed? ... Yes? .... Ok, then you probably won't like the ending either.