By Hannah Crooks
The newest monster movie is here, and it resides far away from clichés and stereotypes. Colossal, directed by Nacho Vigalondo, merges comedy, sci-fi, and horror in a film that is absolutely one of a kind.
The movie, which will open Friday at FilmScene, 118 E. College St., begins as an ordinary indie flick with a woman (Anne Hathaway) getting dumped by her boyfriend (Dan Stevens) and being booted from their Manhattan apartment, forced to return to her hometown so she can figure out her life.
What could have easily been a trite, life-crisis story is actually anything but. Hathaway’s character, Gloria, is an out-of-work alcoholic with thick, frizzy hair, a leather jacket she almost never leaves behind, and a little too much smudged black eyeliner. Compared with Hathaway’s usual roles — the quirky, cute girl who works really hard to get what she wants — Gloria is an utter mess, albeit a lovable one.
Upon her return to her parents’ empty house in small-town New Hampshire, which they have abandoned for their vacation home in retirement, Gloria runs into an old classmate, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). An awkward but seemingly friendly fellow, Oscar invites Gloria to visit his bar and hang out for a while. He takes such a liking to her that he offers her a job and fills her home with his uncle’s old furniture.
Sudeikis’s portrayal of Oscar perfectly walks the line between harmless friend and psycho stalker, leaving the audience constantly wondering whether the film will turn romantic comedy or horror flick at any moment.
The flawed characters are so original and fascinating that the entirety of Colossal could have focused on only them, and it would still be phenomenal. But Vigalondo went above and beyond with his connection between down-to-earth humanity and giant monster attacks, making the movie unforgettable.
While all of this is happening in Gloria’s life, she learns about a monster in Seoul, South Korea, that materializes from nowhere and disappears into thin air — and has been wreaking mass chaos on the people who live in the region. It doesn’t take Gloria long to discover a strange link between her and the creature.
Between epic robot slaps and her invasive neighbors, Gloria attempts to pull her life together and maybe even figure out how to put an end to the destruction in Seoul.
As she delves deeper into the issue, she discovers an even more disturbing truth: a dangerous connection between her and Oscar that could be costing people their lives. A sick childhood stunt turns murderous rampage in a way that will make your stomach turn but leave you begging for the next scene.
One of my favorite moments of film demonstrated Gloria’s girl power and growing independence. After her ex-boyfriend, Tim, tries to save the situation, Gloria takes off to an unknown location. When he tells her that she owes him an explanation, she wonderfully replies, “Why? No, I don’t.”
We finally see Gloria take control of her life, and she leaves Tim with the message, “Buddy, I am more out of control than ever.”
Colossal is instantly relatable and remarkably simple. Vigalondo harnesses the conflict and demolition necessary for a monster movie while keeping the focus on the personalities and quirks of the human characters. It is an absolute must-see film.
When: Oens Friday
Where: FilmScene, 118 E. College
Cost: Prices vary; see FilmScene’s website
