Monster

i’m gonna die

so many details i don’t think any amount of rewatching could make it 100% clear. it’s tense and scary during the adults povs. i don’t think ive ever been so antsy in my entire life watching a movie. but then suddenly that all goes away when the kids pov hit. i think the entire time i was expecting an answer to everything that was going on and while we saw all the povs, we never really got one, and i feel like it’s kinda the point? even the ending is as ambiguous as it was during the start. but while the movie started with little to no hope and just that overwhelming feeling that this is going to go badly, the ending is filled with so much hope and happiness. but i still sobbed so so hard thinking that it was sad. but it wasn’t really though.

i think i expected the worst to happen because that’s what every one else expected. you could tell the mom was loosing hope. so much to the point where every time she lost sight of minato, she thought he had died. and the teacher had lost all hope in the people around him that he had no strength for himself. but we don’t really think about those things as a kid. we don’t think about those around us and how sad our lives are getting. it’s a type of innocence i didn’t know could be captured this well until i watched this movie.

i saw somewhere that there’s a scene of the kids looking back into the camera as the last shot and im so so glad they didn’t keep that in. in the last scene, they never look back, running towards the place where a gate used to stand. and while ambiguous, it makes it even more happy. they are running, not thinking of anyone but themselves, towards a place that’s void of obsticles and things holding them back. there is no possibility of any “monsters” around them. by getting through the storm, they were able to see a life of no gate blocking them.

the director said they made this on the basis that they are alive, but that in the end it’s up to the viewers. and i think that keeping them alive is so so so much more powerful than killing them. so many queer stories end on the basis of someone dying or just being depressing in general. but for this to have such an emotional story and it still turning out happy, is more powerful and meaningful.
i think the whole basis of this movie is made to make people think the ending will be of the boys being “reincarnated” or being together but in a different life. but i don’t think thats what the boys meant when talking about those things. they never wanted to leave their lives, they never wanted to be reincarnated, they just wanted to be together. and by the end, they are finally able to do that. they get to run off into the distance and have it actually mean a happy ending, and have it actually be the story of their lives.

my favorite line is like the last line of the movie when hoshikawa asks whether they’ve been reincarnated or not.

“were we reborn?”
“there’s no such thing as reincarnation”

“we weren’t?”
“we weren’t, we are still the same.”

i just think that this being the last line of the movie just solidifies the fact that it’s a happy ending. they don’t need different lives or different bodies. they can be happy and hopeful now in this life.

there’s so much going on in this movie i’m so surprised it was all packing into 2 hours. each person has their own life and own view on the things happening around them. it’s almost as if every single part is its own story.

idk this felt so magical i felt like i was flying or something. and i so genuinely thought i was going to leave this movie so depressed but it’s like the opposite and this rarely ever happens with these types of movies so im kinda over the moon right now.

but i still did cry a lot so im gonna nap!!!!!!!!!!

and NO IM NOT IN DENIAL THEY DIDNT DIE DONT BE SILLY!!!!

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If only some people can have it, that's not happiness.

This really complicated story. At first i thought this just movie about a mother's love to her child, really think that mother can be monster if her child being bullied, but then as i continue watch it there's more than that. when mr. hiro's and minato's pov show, we kind understand the most of what happening really. and to me who understand that, make me think that im the 'monster' that accused mr. hiro one sidely. aside for the queer part, mr hiro is a kind person, even when his gf leave him, he don't blame everything on minato. even he questioning everything and try to make it sense for him enderstanding what is happening. and yet he felt sorry for minato understanding too late. then the minato's pov start to get me bawling my eyes out. where minato starting to realise what is the feeling he experiencing now, he got happy, sacred, and don't know what to do. it's his first time feeling this type of feeling, he want to tell it to his mom, everyone about his feeling, instead he keep silent, because if everyone know what his feeling, he's never be happy. how this world is so cruel to him to invalidate his feeling to think sort of type? and for my boy yori, i think this pure soul is too tainted by his evil father, what you mean being sloth is superpower, to not felt anything is super. no boy, you must fight it okay. oh well, this movie is open ending, and even minato said they're not reincarnated yet, i want them to died. this world is to cruel to them

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Brilliance, Depth and Thought Provoking

!!A Thought Provoking Film!!
What a movie, a masterpiece I watched after a long time, I was just bored on Sunday and randomly picked this movie to watch, I have three points to share with you all who are reading this.
1. It's has a beautiful cinematography, very intense like creating a whole level of suspense and depth.
2. The pov's are such an eye openers focusing on the actual matter or the story and we soon realise that we were too quick to judge anything, anyone from beginning.
3. It's an awakening and story of one's learning about themselves is so emotional indeed it was very nicely portrayed by those young actors👏overall, it's a film which left me feeling many things deeply. Monster "could be ppl and idea of how society is too quick to see things not for the truth", or "us as PPL can't really accept the 'differents' or can never be our true selfs hiding behind mask just to escape from facing reality"
Indeed, such a great film, a must watch!!!
and lastly "it's always deeper than it looks on the outside".

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Societal critic supported by a strong cast and impressive storytelling: very deep and impactful!

A beautiful movie very impactful and that made a deep impression on me upon watching. The scenario is one of the strong point of the movie: it almost felt like a theatre play in several acts. Every question find an answer, every element showcased at one point of the script has an importance for the rest of the story... The film approaches some very important societal topics and provide a sound critic of Japanese society without being preachy and with a lot of subtlety.

The cast is really great: the characters are multi-faceted and the actors and actresses manage to provide plenty of nuances to their roles. There are a lot of angsty and emotional moments that are played with expertise for the adults parts and candor for the children parts.

The production value is good, I loved some of the decors as well as the editing which really enhanced the various storylines intertwined with each other. The soundtrack was not overly present but there are some critical scenes involving music with a very interesting set up.

I would strongly recommend this movie to people looking for a film providing a critic of Japanese society, discussing important topics and very well acted. The ending made a very strong impression on me...I will not spoil it but the message behind it really moved me deeply. There are some triggering aspects to the movie but it is not too graphic, a lot happens in subtext and is understood as the story unfolds itself. If you are looking for some fluff or slice-of-life movie, it is not the film for you. But if you are ready for some great and poignant storytelling, give it a shot!

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A Mother's Struggle For Her Son

“Monster” is an intriguing movie, told from the perspectives of 3 individuals, a single mother who is overprotective of her son and wants justice for him, a well-meaning teacher who finds himself in the middle of an almost impossible situation in which he is falsely accused of hitting a child, and a young boy who is coming to terms with himself and his feelings for a friend. Although not quite the psychological thriller one would expect, “Monster” does a great job in shifting our perspective, in as much as we are constantly being asked “who is the monster?”, while viewing the movie. We are not looking for a monster, but rather seeing victims of circumstances that we empathize with throughout the film and the question of who the monster is becomes the furthest from the audience’s concerns.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/03/monster-movie-review/

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The World is The True Monster

If there was one movie that I could choose to erase from my memory so that I could experience watching it for the first time again, it would be Monster. The way this movie told the story from different perspectives that would change our views and opinions was so smart and made the movie move so quickly. I was surprised by the acting, especially by Kurokawa Souya (Mugino Minato) considering his age, he perfectly portrayed the confusing feelings his character was going through. There was a specific point in the movie where I just started sobbing when I had this moment where I went "these characters are so young but already have to worry about what the world thinks of them," and didn't stop crying until the end. I am a pretty emotional person but nothing has had this much of an effect on me. Just a perfect movie.

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Who is the real monster here?

Jan. 20 2024

I have dont have the exact words to say but this is absolutely a stunning piece of literature. I love every single bits of it. Prepare your tissues cause you are gonna need it a lot. The emotional rollercoaster I had to face. The scenes of the two leads and their innocence. How cruelty of this world is the real monster and not those who love others in a way that is not the "norm". The feeling of disappointment and feeling outcasted. Wishing to just be normal so you can find love. Disappointing your loved ones because they cannot accept for who you are. Wishing to live in a world where you feel accepted and love. To not be hated by society and be frown upon.

Monster 2023 movie explains this well. Strong signs of symbolism are present in the movie. The ending is open for your interpretation. And for me, it is that they are free. Free to live. Free to choose. Free to be themselves.

It is truly agonizing to realize how many people are basically experiencing this themselves. I hope everyone receives that happy ending we all deserve. Even though, life is cruel and unfair.

The amount of tears I produced was insane.

I hope everyone gives Monster the love that it deserves !

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“Who’s the Monster?”

“You have an amazing talent”

“Do I bite and poison others?”

“No, but when you’re attacked you let go of all your strength and give up”

“That’s not a strength”

“You stop feeling”

“Am I Hoshikawa Yori?”

I really couldn’t put it into enough words how phenomenal this movie was in the sense that it just, completely overwhelmed me. The thing about children is that yes, their worldview differs from those that are older than them, and yes maybe they don’t, perhaps, fully understand the complexities of life as adults, But i feel that more often that not, children are aware of things; they think and feel and process feelings just as we adults do too. However, there’s a certain rawness, a brutality to the truth that they don’t avoid.

Listening. To not simply hear what is being told to you, but to truly listen and understand. Throughout the entirety of this movie we are led to believe that there is one big mystery that must be revealed. Is Mr Hiro truly the “Monster” that he is portrayed to be, or is the monster Minato? Perhaps even Yori? At different points in the film we are led to believe that this ugly truth could be that this was either a detailed scheme conducted by two disturbed young boys looking to wreak havoc, or that there was a cruel teacher who has been abusing his authority and his pupils. We are even led to believe that Minato could be monster who had been caught by a classmate killing a cat (Allegedly). We see as Minato’s mother Saori jumps through hoops to defend her son from who she believed to be a monster, an abusive monster: Mr Hori. She searches for answers that would support her beliefs and feeds them, recklessly discarding anything that doesn’t align with her version of events. A notable example of this would be when the possibility of her son being the “monster” is suggested to her but she vehemently rejects this idea completely. In an attempt to prove Mr Horims guilt and in turn, Minato’s innocence, she visits Yori and instead of listening to him, gets him to corroborate a story that paints Mr Hiro as the abuser.

Now, Mr Hiro can indeed be seen as a victim here as he goee through his fair share of suffering as a result of false accusations. However, he is not completely innocent and also fails to pay attention and listen. Listen to the children. After being accused by Minato and his mother of physical abuse, he pleads his innocence adamantly, failing to realise that his actions come across aggressive and unhinged especially towards the children. Hori begs for the testimony of a student of his who states she witnessed Minato hurt a cat and begs her to show that he isn't the monster everyone claims that he is, but rather that Minato is. Here is one of the many mistakes the adults in this film make. They fail to listen. Yes they hear what these children tell them, but they only hear what they want to hear, which is why when he begs her to tell the principal that she saw Minato kill that cat, to prove his innocence she claims that, that is what she said, and she would be correct. At her response he lashes out and she is frightened. What all these adults fail to recognise all along is, that the real ‘monster’ had been there all along. Right under their noses.

Saori visited the house of the monster, and hell, Mr Hiro even met him himself. If they had not been so caught up with their own problems, fuelling their own narratives, they would have recognised the bigger issue at hand: Yori’s abusive father, The Real Monster. Upon visiting Yori’s house, Mr Hiro hears the words that started this all, come out of Yori’s father’s mouth. “His brain has been switched with a pig’s”. Yet Mr Hori doesn’t question this, or even attempt to connect the dots. Saori saw the burn marks and bruises littering Yori’s body, and rather than asking who they were from, or why he was so comfortable being left at home for long periods of time, she asked if it had been Mr Hiro who had inflicted the wounds. Another failure, another missed chance to save Yori from the monster.

For Yori and Minato, there was no doubt in their mind who the monster was, and they had not once wavered from their belief in this. For these two boys, the truth was so abundantly clear to them, the monster was Yori’s father. Whatever was going on with Mr Hori, With Minato’s mother, with the school, it didn't concern them, all that mattered was that they had each other and their special place, their escape from judgement, from lies and pain.

We are given several examples throughout the film, of this raw truth that children possess. Minato tells his mother “I’m not like dad” the truck sound conveniently passing by as Minato tells her something that he’s been holding back for so long, once again Saori fails to hear what it is that he’s really trying to tell her. It can be argued that it was either the loud sound of the truck To listen. Minato wasn’t trying to tell his mother that he wanted to be like his father, or get muddy like his father, or play rugby like his father, but he was telling her he isn’t like him. He doesn’t love in the same way his father did. In the way his father loved his mum. He tries to tell Saori he loves another boy, that he doesn't love a woman like his father did. and that is why he tells her “I’m not like dad” The raw truth. If only Saori had heard, had truly listened, had asked what this all meant,

Would we be fair in assuming that maybe, just maybe things could have panned out differently?

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Not sure about the hype

Got excited to watch this movie because of the high ratings. Didnt watch any trailers or new anything about it before watching. Thought it was going to be a good horror /thriller movie. Was waiting for something to happen....


Still very confused about the high ratings or is this what Japan horror movies is about?

It was about 3 different views/stories about their lives. I dont see anything about a thriller or a horror. Maybe a psychological drama.

Still very confused here... The theme is who is fhe monster? As you watch it from 3 different perspectives and then you change your views based on them. Thats why the question is are we the monster?

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So, who is the monster?

I actually watched this about 2 weeks ago, but I guess I just wanted to recollect my thoughts about this film before I could write the review because... woah, this was so interesting. Mesmerising. It made me think a LOT.

How this film unfolded the mystery through each character's perspective was so smart, and so well done. I just couldn't tell what was going on or what the main plot was at all, until it switched to Minato's perspective. At the beginning, we saw a single mother be just as confused as us viewers were-- what was her son doing? Why was he acting like that? What was going on with him? We felt her confusion, pain, struggle and then just as she was convinced that the teacher was the perpetrator, we were fully convinced too. If I were to speak further than her perspective, I'd be spoiling heavily because after that, everything blew my mind away. Nothing she thought were true. Frankly, I've never seen anything else quite like how this film is told.

The acting from all actors alike was brilliant. Passionate. I will never get how child actors can be such good actors at such a young age. They literally did just as well as the adult actors on the film, and to be this much talented already gives me the chills because wth am I doing with my life 😂

Amazing film. It's the kind of movie you can't help but hold your breath in for the entire 2-hour runtime-- even if you feel like your head might explode at some point.

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