Little Monsters

LITTLE MONSTERS- Altitude

Abe Forsythe's Little Monsters plays quite well as a companion piece to the likes of Slither or Shaun of the Dead. Little Monsters is a film that brilliantly plays around with tone and the genre conventions of comedy and horror to a profoundly entertaining and effective degree. The horror is restraint and well-produced but is only ever optimised as a visual element with the film very rarely becoming an overly-keen gorefest. The film does, however, really exceed when it wants to travel that road, notably in the film’s second and third act in which Little Monsters lives up to its namesake to glorious impact.

Nevertheless, the film is first and foremost a comedy spectacle that happens to have zombies involved. The humour is overly slapstick and even farcical, albeit pleasantly so, with actors Josh Gad and Alexander England perfectly embodying this wonderfully written comedic nature that writer/director Abe Forsythe brings to proceedings. Forsythe playfully balances a commanding tone in his writing with said aspect flowing with great comedic prowess but with a flip of a switch turns into a compelling, tense atmosphere.

The child actors are exquisite, especially the performance of Diesel La Torraca as Felix, who not only showcases a decent range at such a tender age but injects a wonderful quantity of poignancy and emotional value. That being said, it is undeniably Lupita Nyong'owho showcases a tremendous level of range in a performance that perfectly radiates her talents as an outstanding actress. She is warm, inviting, humorous, commanding and bold at a constant, compelling rate. Not only does this attract and engage with the audience to a fearless and entertaining level but crafts quite the compelling character arc with delightful results.

Little Monsters is released November 15, 2019.