For those that grew up in the early nineties, Christina Ricci was a staple part of our childhood. The star was in a slew of films including Mermaids, Now & Then, Casper, and both The Addams Family movies, making her one of the hardest working child actors out there. The intervening years had seen her fade away slightly from the bright lights of the spotlight; Ricci has still been working, just not necessarily on as high-profile projects as when she was younger. Her fantastic turn as Misty in television series Yellowjackets looks set to catapult her once more into the forefront of the public domain, meaning that her latest film, Monstrous is sure to generate a lot of attention.
In Monstrous, Ricci steps into the role of parent, to play a mother, Laura, on the run from a dangerous ex-husband with their son Cody (Santino Barnard). The two flee to California and Laura throws herself into starting anew. Their new home, however, may not be as straight-forward and as safe as Laura had hoped after Cody begins speaking about a monster that prowls the house at night.
Packed with 1950’s nostalgia, Monstrous embraces the rock’n’roll decade, the whole feature looking and feeling as if it has come straight from the era. Even without looking at a single frame, the soundtrack gives away the setting with scenes accompanied by the likes of Mr Sandman, Everyday, and See You Later Alligator. The decor and fixtures of Laura’s new house have been painstakingly worked on to create a home straight out of a fifties interior design catalogue. Morgan DeGroff’s costumes also authentically scream 1950’s glamour, Laura’s immaculate appearance placing her firmly into Stepford Wife territory, sans the husband.
Ricci pushes the time period into her performance, making Laura the sickly sweet, overly polite, and excessively house-proud stereotype of female ‘perfection’. Hiding under this facade though is a darkness that Laura is at war with. Like many women of the decade, her strive for perfection is masking some deep trauma and her denial to accept the reality of her situation creates some great moments of tension. Laura is a character that feels tailor made for Ricci as she is exactly the special brand of neurotic that Ricci excels at. Ricci handles the mental instability of Laura expertly, keeping the audience wondering what has caused her so much pain. Scenes between Ricci and her young co-star Santino Barnard highlight the disconnect between Laura and her life; Laura refuses to listen to her son’s issues with having made the move. Her overbearing, almost smothering ‘happiness’, is in stark contrast to her son’s brutal honesty and it is in these scenes that Monstrous gets most interesting. Throw in the wonderfully realised monster that lurks around the property and you have all the right ingredients for an engaging and intriguing story.
The plot itself is a well-trodden one, most closely resembling Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. Whereas Kent’s film was shrouded in dark lighting and colours, Monstrous allows sunshine and bright colours to camouflage the true horror of the piece. The familiarity of parts of the story do have some interesting new aspects woven in, and though some may have the journey of Monstrous plotted early on, it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the piece.
Though not quite as compelling as her Yellowjackets alter-ego, Christina Ricci makes the character of Laura her own, proving the actor once again to be much more than simply a former child star. The fifties styles and affectations of Monstrous conjure the perfect setting for Chris Sivertson’s latest (and potentially greatest) project.
Monstrous
Summary
Christina Ricci continues her journey back to the spotlight with a fabulously neurotic and chilling performance as a mother battling demons, both literal and figurative, in Chris Sivertson’s nostalgia-laden horror.
Monstrous was reviewed at FrightFest Glasgow 2022.
