Rent The Monster (2016)
2.7 of 5 from 82 ratings
1h 27min
A juvenile lead in a film can go as far as to make or break the production. Here, the performance of young-looking 15-year-old Ella Ballentine as Lizzy is such that ‘The Monster’s occasional lulls and inconsistencies are entirely forgiven.
The acting is very good across the board. Zoe Kazan as Lizzy’s deeply flawed mother Kathy is also very strong. Their relationship is the glue that holds events together. The monster of the title is a physical costume – no CGI here – and is partially successful. A cross between Godzilla and the titular creature from ‘Jeepers Creepers’, it’s an unforgiving killer. But it’s Lizzy’s heart-wrenching sobs as every avenue of safety is bloodily taken away from her that really sells it. My score is 7 out of 10.