Nosferatu? More like Your Monster in you.

First Things First: I have something to admit, I’d completely forgotten about In the Heights. Just kept shouting “put this girl in musicals” at the screen during Your Monster like an absolute idiot until it finally hit me during Melissa Barrera’s final number.

Brief Thoughts: At first Your Monster goes the expected route by playing up the typical, slowly developing enemies-to-lovers romcom arc, with the added “oh god is this considered bestiality?” layer of any good Beauty and the Beast pairing. Barrera exuberantly diving headfirst into playing up her character’s overwhelming sorrow over a shitty boyfriend dumping her during her cancer surgery recovery was immediately appreciated for the comedy, sure, but it also helped to clearly demonstrate just how opposite ends of the emotional spectrum Laura and Monster are.

Quick Interjection: No offense to Tommy Dewey — he acts the shit out of this role behind all those prosthetics — but what few comparable story elements to 50/50 there are did have me briefly wondering what Joseph Gordon Levitt’s performance as Monster would be like.

Favorite Quote: “You’re disgusting! You’re horrible! And you ruined my life! And you’ve stolen all of my socks!” / “You were never going to do anything with those fucking socks.”

Brief Thoughts (Cont.): The romcom elements are definitely fun — thanks largely to the playful chemistry between Barrera and Levitt — but it wasn’t until the film pivots into something that threatens to dip some hairy toes into horror and the themes start to truly play out that I really got onboard. Honestly, I wish it had leaned even harder into how Laura rediscovering her confidence, worth, and power is expressed because the potential ramifications of unleashing her inner monster had me absolutely gleeful just thinking about all the possible outcomes. 

Final Thoughts: No but seriously, may we all have a monstrous hype man who helps us compartmentalize our insecurities and trauma until we’re confident enough to think our thoughts, feel our feelings again, and do it with our whole chest.

— Bonus Rounds —

Easily Distracted: That mouse that jumpscares Laura in the closet right before she meets Monster was way too distinct looking to be a one off cameo appearance. Like, I’m still thinking about that little cow of a mouse.

---

Your Monster is now streaming on HBO Max