Here is another case of a US pandemic VOD release eventually finding a home on a UK streaming service. In this case Netflix UK. The film itself sees Dylan O’Brien and his dog travelling across a post-apocalyptic Earth to find his girlfriend (Jessica Henwick.) Along the way, they encounter some original monster mythology and expensive but imaginatively designed creatures. The narrative is a decent amount of fun. O’Brien is a very likeable leading man. It’s always worthwhile going out and supporting solidly made big-budget new intellectual property. The tone is very gently amusing but it’s not going to rock any viewers world.
This is a case example of media that’s fun and worth investing in. That said it’s lacking the true emotional core to elevate itself to greatness. This was something that screenwriter Brian Duffield managed to accomplish with another studio pandemic release that he wrote and directed. The awesome teen horror-comedy Spontaneous. The two films are similar but the latter nails it’s emotional and character beats much more effectively. This results in a much more fully formed final product beyond the inherent fun of the premise. Duffield made one of the most underrated films to come out over that that deserves to be seen by more people. Comparing the two is like judging the difference between a solid genre feature under a truly great one.
Love and Monsters worth seeking out regardless of its immediate follow-up. This style, genre and scale of filmmaking should not be averse to big studios outside of superhero movies and proven blockbusters. If viewers want to see more films in this vein they need to go out and support the ones that have been made
7/10.
A Little Bit Of Everything 