Few films created during the pandemic lend themselves as easily to the on-set Covid protocols as Matt Vesely’s Monolith. Working from a script by Lucy Campbell, Monolith stars Lily Sullivan as a disgraced reporter. Keen for the public to forget about her past, she throws herself into work on her new podcast ‘Beyond Believable’. The premise of the series is to allow guests to share their stories of the strange. One tale, involving weird black bricks, inexplicably takes on a life of its own as others begin sharing their own encounters. Quickly falling down a rabbit-hole of interconnecting stories, the case suddenly lands a little too close to home. But what could the significance of the sinister blocks be?
This is a film steeped in mystery; even the protagonist isn’t afforded a name. Credited as simply ‘The Interviewer’, the anonymity of the nameless journalist presents yet another enigma for the audience to try and unpuzzle. During the course of the narrative, details surrounding certain aspects and life experiences are uncovered, but never anything as basic as her name. It’s a bold move as the average viewer likes to engage with their main characters on a first name basis. By denying the audience this, they are able to take a step back, casting an analytical eye of her investigation.
The camera never leaves the interviewer and her house. The narrative unfolds entirely over voice calls, audio clips and the occasional piece of home video footage. Visually, Monolith displays a lot of audio editing software on screen as the reporter pieces together her story. There are also plenty of shots of Sullivan’s character listening and reacting to the stories that she is told. The scenario doesn’t seem the most exciting to watch, but this is a tale about other people’s stories and how they can impact our own views on the world. Monolith is a subtle study in how quickly information – true or otherwise – can spread, and how people internalise and distort it to fit their inner dialogue.
Being alone on screen for ninety minutes, communicating with cast members via phone calls, is a tough prospect, but Sullivan handles the challenge well. Though without anyone to physically bounce off of, Sullivan does manage to convey changes with her character. Initially very put together and surrounded by ordered things, as the black brick story unspools, the investigator unravels. Her appearance becomes increasingly dishevelled, and the once ordered home becomes littered with dirty dishes and mess. This latest story is literally consuming every second of her time and the use of visual cues is a welcome break from an awkward expositional visit from a friend or similar.
The location, a beautiful house set within breath-taking vistas, becomes Sullivan’s co-star. As with the intrepid reporter herself, the house goes on a transformation. Initially a serene oasis and welcome retreat from her disgracement, the building morphs into something sinister and untrustworthy. The once relished remote location shifts to painful isolation, feeding into her anxieties, causing the young woman’s mind to fracture further.
Conspiracy theory aficionados will have a blast with the central thesis of Monolith’s fictional podcast. Strange bricks that seemingly materialise, covered in writing not in any known language, appearing all over the globe – it has alien origin written all over it. The impartial investigator being drawn into potentially believing the tales that she is told, strengthens that argument. Monolith therefore converts itself into an art-house abstraction of the sensationalised paranormal documentaries. The film also slots itself neatly aside Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt; its characters Levi and John would have a field day with the story.
The insular narrative style and isolated setting will ruffle the feathers of those that like a tidy and straightforward plot. It’s a gutsy risk, especially for a feature debut, but one that will be gratefully received by the patient viewer.
Monolith
Summary
Monolith works as both a character study of a singularly focused individual, and a haunting example of just how quickly paranoia and misinformation can spread.
Monolith was reviewed at SXSW 2023. Monolith is on UK and Ireland digital platforms from 26th February 2024.
