Monster (2014)

Monster is one of my all-time favorite thrillers. Lee Min Ki delivers an amazing portrayal of a man who's mind just isn't right. Throughout the performance, you aren't sure if you love him or hate him, if you want to hug him and wipe away his tears or cut his throat before he can do more damage.

Kim Go Eun's character was hard for me to understand at first. Her single-minded purpose shone through until the very end. Bok Sun becomes the every-man's-heroine, who manages to fight for her personal justice despite her disability.

The gore value in this film is fantastic. My personal favorite is the chopsticks scene, which I highly recommend. I have watched this film several times, and it continues to thrill me, like my favorite roller coaster.

On top of all of that, the scenery is gorgeous, as it is set in a forested, rural area. The filmography was done beautifully.

I recommend this flick for lovers of the thrill. Lovers of blood. Lovers of psychotic evildoers and lovers of a good game of cat and mouse.

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I mean, having Min Ki as a killer? Why make crime look hot?

The very start doesn't look promising, but as soon as the movie continues to evolve it somehow sucks you in. It is a very balanced movie - it has humor but at the same time it has a very serious and sad topic. It is very ''Korean'' - so, it shows the reality of life. I noticed them portraying lots of it, thus I really prefer them over western ones.

Back to the movie - the start is a bit boring (at least for me), but as it evolves it becomes interesting. The plot is very easy to follow, nothing is secretive. It's easy to watch, if you can take lots of blood and gore. Acting - is amazing.

Even though, I wouldn't watch this movie again. I think once was enough. It is not bad, but I definitely watched better ones.

Still I don't regret spending time watching it at all.

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Lee Minki, just wow. So dark and messed up, I seriously ended up hating the brother after everything he did for the older brother, he couldn’t wait to stab him in the back, quite literally. There's this coldness in Minkis eyes that makes you feel both terrified and thrilled at the same time. The indifferent way he reacts to killing especially that chopsticks scene is still in my mind. Honestly, I'm a fan of Go Eun she's great in Goblin but I found her so annoying in this! I don't know if it's just that character probably, but still it was hard to relate to her. Still it's a nice helping of sociopathic serial killer and the revenge of a not so normal girl.

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The summary for Monster 2014 is a bit short-sighted. It is more than what is stated. You need to watch it to see what I am referring to. I will state a mild spoiler. However, it does not take away from the plot or reveal anything as to what happens. Overall, I really liked the movie. It grabbed my attention right from the start. The ending was a highlight. From the summary I expected the killing of the sister to happen right away. However, I do understand the prolonged set up leading to the murder of Bok Son’s sister. Thereafter there are plenty of plot twists.

One thing I did not like was just how did Tae Soo always know where Bok Son at. There is no way that could really happen. Yes, it did add to the drama. However, that was just too unrealistic for me.

As some reviewers have stated, there is plenty of violence and gore. So, be prepared. Not for the squeamish. The violence is quite graphic.

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Wow, so this is not what I was expecting. lol Monster is such an interesting story which makes it such an odd yet engaging film. The director fits many different themes into it, such as very dark and depressing but also comedic elements. I liked it because it was very fast paced and yet engaging, you get to see how the characters interact with each other such as Bok Sun and Na Ri. Bok Sun has had some developmental issues and she has to take care of a child while evading a killer. So, it seems like a pretty difficult and daunting task because of the character's characteristics and personalities. Yet, they help and rely on each other and bond along the way. I felt a lot of sympathy for the characters and I feel that you really get to bond with the characters while watching it. At times, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry because of the disturbing and comedic themes. Overall, the whole movie itself was extremely bizarre, but fast paced, and it may leave you feeling confused, bewildered, disturbed, and happy? Well, give it a try, it's an emotional rollercoaster.

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What a strange movie. So dark and bloody but most of it was silly because of Bok Sun. As always Kim Go Eun is fantastic and so was Ahn Seo Hyun.  Kim can cry so realistically, coupled with her character's personality, I think she really shined here. The guy who played the killer, Lee Min Kee, woah! did he do good. So creepy and psychotic! My heart was racing in fear whenever he was chasing them, he's just nuts! Am I crazy because I kinda feel bad for him? It's the classic case of if his family were different, maybe he would've turned out better. I did feel like the story dragged on a little bit and I wanted to fast forward a few times. But it was worth the watch.

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So, I am gonna critique the movie based on the following parameters and justify my low score (No Spoilers)

1. Story: So the movie had 2 plots woven into one. The main story (The revenge tale) and then the story of Tae Soo (Lee Min Ki) and his family. It is the second plot is what makes the story worthwhile (Hence the 5.0 Score). The primary story on the other hand is dull as hell

2. Acting: Both Actors did a very good job portraying their respective characters. So, if you are simply a fan of the actors and don't care much of the plot; you are probably going to have a good time

3. Pacing: The movie was edited and cut in a very bizarre manner; and not in a good way. They chose to put in a lot of stuff that should have been left on the editing room. This made that whole movie a mess, and killed it for me

I came out very much disappointing with the movie. To me, this was a very poor showing of a fantastic premise and cast.

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Sometimes, a simple revenge thriller is real treat.

PROS:
+ The main character is painfully dumb and is totally unequipped to face a serial killer; this makes her incredibly charming and likeable
+ While the plot is pretty simple, there are some heavy elements that still pack a good emotional punch
+ The violence is brutal and messy, which removes the feeling of safety and shows the antagonist has no bounds to his methods
+ Good relationship between the main character and the little girl [supporting character] that creates a good balance of light-heartedness in this dark film

CONS:
- Some of the plot unfolds in a very unconvincing and "lucky" way that seems far-fetched from reality
- There is a poorly-constructed side plot that initiates the action, but has no other purpose (or resolution)

Yeah, I've seen a few of these serial killer revenge thrillers. I still love them though!

Trust me, Monster is less generic than the poster, tagline, and title would lead you to believe. This is a super entertaining film that I'm glad I watched. However, I doubt I'll ever want to see it again.

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