---
title: "Monsters: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/monsters/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/monsters"
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 19
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Monsters (2010): what the critics said

Critics' score 75 from 19 reviews: 16 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to Monsters as a quiet science-fiction road film whose romance matters more than its creatures. Praise centres on Edwards’ resourceful effects, atmospheric location shooting and the convincing presence of the fantastic in ordinary surroundings. Many reviews find the leads’ understated performances and chemistry enough to sustain the journey. The sparing monster appearances are generally welcomed, with human encounters taking precedence over action.

The spread is wide, however, and the relationship that engages most critics leaves others cold. Reservations concern the subdued pacing, limited sense of danger and an immigration allegory some find too obvious. The Los Angeles Times admires the dystopian imagery but finds the characters empty and the political ideas underdeveloped. Slant Magazine dissents more sharply, rejecting both the leads’ chemistry and the treatment of poverty and immigration; the disagreement extends beyond expectations of how much a monster film should show its monsters.

## Empire — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 October 2010. 

Praises the low-budget sci-fi road movie as an amazing achievement that matches top indies in performances and character work while delivering blockbuster-level effects, thanks to the director's one-man VFX and filmmaking ingenuity.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/monsters-review/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 June 2010. Festival review. 

The review calls it an impressively assured debut that succeeds across performances, story, effects and locations, describing it as an intelligent, absorbing and moving sci-fi romance rather than a horror flick.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/monsters/5014984.article)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2010. 

Edwards delivers a thrilling postmodern sci-fi film with a downbeat approach to the monsters and a hugely involving love story. The director channels classic influences while offering a Swiftian satire on immigration fears and a superb final gesture.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/02/monsters-review)

## The Telegraph

Rating ***. 2 December 2010. 

Edwards multitasks impressively on a tiny budget to create a visually and sonically enviable film. It is a gorgeous and unsettling road movie about an almost-romance with an ending that sends shivers down the spine.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8177274/Monsters-review.html)

## Total Film — Matt Glasby

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2010. 

Hails it as the first home-made sci-fi blockbuster, crediting Edwards' innovative all-in-one production with creating a realistic, empathetic world and awesome monster reveals that promise even greater things ahead.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/monsters-1-review/)

## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston

Rating 4/5. 

The critic commends the enterprising debut for its fresh mix of sci-fi, road movie and romance, noting the convincing low-budget effects and strong human dimension centered on the leads' chemistry.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-iq28q7/monsters/)

## The Times

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2010. 

This intelligent British feature about aliens is a miracle of austerity cinema with convincing verité style and digital effects that surpass expectations. Edwards confounds monster-movie expectations by focusing on the human relationship.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/monsters-cxhtdmkxwhz)

## Time Out — Nigel Floyd

Rating 4/5. 30 November 2010. 

The review highlights the seamless blend of romance, road movie and monster elements in this micro-budget film, praising its atmospheric, realistic texture and quiet human moments over spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/monsters)

## Variety — Joe Leydon

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 March 2010. Festival review. 

The critic calls it a uniquely satisfying entertainment that turns sci-fi conventions inside out by concentrating on human drama under pressure. He singles out the naturalistic performances, guerrilla-style shooting, and balance of gritty-indie style with horror substance.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/monsters-1117942467/)

## Sight and Sound — Nick Roddick

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2011. 

The critic praises the film's assured debut blending of road movie, sci-fi and romance, noting its realistic world-building and integration of the fantastic into the everyday. The human drama and chemistry between leads stand out over the creatures.

[Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/5786)

## The Hollywood Reporter — The Associated Press

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. Festival review. 

The film impresses with its atmospheric detail and sparing use of creatures despite echoes of District 9. Performances by the leads are tentative and the sociological subtext along the U.S.-Mexico border is too obvious.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/monsters-film-review-29786/)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Rating Critic's Pick. 28 October 2010. 

The critic praises the film as a wondrously atmospheric drama and dreamy love story-road movie inside a sci-fi scenario. She singles out the rare but eerie appearances of the giant squidlike creatures and their effect on the frame and score.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/movies/29monster.html)

## The Independent

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2010. 

Calls the debut a resourceful and original film with grimy authenticity and a sense of wonder that marks Edwards as an exciting talent, but finds it too subdued and uneventful with little plot or danger.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/monsters-gareth-edwiards-93-mins-12a-megamind-tom-mcgrath-95-mins-pg-secretariat-randall-wallace-123-mins-u-2151399.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 29 October 2010. 

The critic finds the lo-fi sci-fi construct swings too far from effects-laden films into an indie that lacks purpose and engagement. He singles out the arresting dystopian visuals but criticizes the empty characters, ad-libbed dialogue, and failure to develop the geopolitical allegory or local perspectives.

[Read the review](https://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/29/entertainment/la-et-monsters-20101029)

## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2010. 

The allegory about immigration is leaden and unoriginal, recycling elements from Cloverfield and District 9 without subtlety or tension. The leads lack chemistry and the film romanticizes poverty while delivering a simplistic critique of America.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/monsters/)

## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie

Rating 5/5. 25 November 2010. 

The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, a quiet and mature giant monster movie that blends road trip, romance and sci-fi with insightful commentary. He singles out the ethereal beauty of the location shooting and the genuine chemistry of the lead actors for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/monsters-review-2/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2010. 

Despite the title, the film is primarily a road-trip romance rather than an action monster movie, with terrific guerrilla-style cinematography and impressive home-PC effects. Edwards shows strong promise as a director capable of delivering smart, tender genre fare on a shoestring budget.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/monsters-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2011. 

The film is a compelling sci-fi road movie with a Lost in Translation vibe, strong understated performances, and impressive sparingly used effects created by the director himself. It is recommended as an enjoyable and intelligent entry in the new wave of cinematic sci-fi.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/monsters-blu-ray-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating B. 27 October 2010. 

The film uses an alien invasion premise for a unique character-driven road movie focused on a tender relationship between the leads, with intelligent direction and honest writing. It offers a fresh, surprising take that prioritizes emotional depth over action, ending on a poignant and tragic note.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-monsters-an-inventive-alien-invasion-road-movie-20101027/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/monsters.md