mon mon mon MONSTERS

Mon Mon Mon MONSTERS swept across the 2017 film scene as an intense blend of horror, comedy, and coming-of-age drama. This Taiwanese film, directed and written by Giddens Ko, stars captivating performances by Eugenie Liu, Kent Tsai, and Yu-Kai Teng. This genre-bending narrative dives into the frightful lives of high school students entangled in a world filled with bothersome peers, avenging creatures, and disruptive behavior presenting a dark allegory of society's monstrosities.

The plot starts with introverted high-schooler Lin Shu-Wei (Kent Tsai), who is mercilessly victimized by his classmates. He is falsely accused of theft, an incident that sets the plot in motion. As a punishment, he is asked to engage in community work, along with a trio of bullies led by the charming but merciless Duan Ren-Hao (Eugenie Liu). Shu-Wei, with his deeply introverted nature, orchestrates a somewhat harmonious relationship with his bullies that leads to an incredible discovery of two flesh-eating monsters, presenting a wild and unpredictable detour into the horror genre.

The movie beautifully intertwines the struggles of adolescence, going beyond the mundane high school experience to delve into the monstrous aspects of teenager years. As the narrative progresses, the sense of otherworldly horror mixes with the everyday horrors of peer pressure, social hierarchy, and in-group-out-group dynamics, brilliantly communicated through the interactions between the four main characters.

Often, the movie includes evolving subplots that interrogate the nature of monstrosity. Monsters, in this setting, are not just hideous, flesh-eating creatures lurking in the dark but rather everyday individuals harboring intense hatred, prejudice, and an insatiable urge to exploit the weak. The very idea of monstrous injustice that can be found within any society is shattered and rearticulated, blurring the boundary between who is the monster and who is the victim.

The twisted relationship between the boys and the monsters grows more complicated, driving the movie to higher levels of suspense and shock. The boys grow increasingly cruel, exerting their dominance over the creatures in an alarming display of sociopathic behavior. The film crisscrosses between riotous laughter and chilling horror, portraying the monstrous reality surrounding us using the supernatural creatures as metaphors.

The film also vividly explores strong themes of compassion, bullying, and revenge. The main characters, Shu-Wei and Ren-Hao, are written as complete opposites, with contrasting views about their circumstances. Shu-Wei’s timid and moralistic stance is pitted against Ren-Hao’s ghastly attitude, unfurling the monstrous nature of humans, and adding depth to an otherwise conventional horror scenario.

Eugenie Liu's performance, as the charismatic yet evil-minded Ren-Hao, is excellent, producing an entertaining antagonistic role for viewers to remember. Kent Tsai’s portrayal of the timid Shu-Wei also deserves credit as the complexity of his character — a bullied student dragged into monstrosity — adds a significant layer to the film narrative.

In terms of production values, Mon Mon Mon MONSTERS flourishes. The film boasts high-quality visual effects for the monsters that add substantially to the horror elements in the movie. The makeup and prosthetics for the creatures are both realistic enough to be terrifying and outlandish enough to be fictional. The cinematography is well executed, capturing the grim, fearful, and gruesome in a stunningly beautiful manner.

To wrap it all up, Mon Mon Mon MONSTERS is a fresh spin on the horror genre, coupling the supernatural with coming-of-age narratives in a way that is rarely seen but beautifully executed. The director, Giddens Ko, masterfully weaves a tale of horror, teenage angst, ethical debates - blurring the lines between the real and the supernatural, the ordinary and the extreme, while offering a deep social critique. It’s a rollercoaster ride of dread, drama, and a dash of dark humor that starts off with high school bullying and takes a sudden turn into an unimaginable horror-filled adventure. The well-rounded performances, captivating storyline, and engaging visuals make this film a standout addition to the Asian horror film genre.