Director – Giddens Ko (You Are the Apple of My Eye, L-O-V-E)
Starring – Yu-Kai Teng (How to Train Our Dragon, Tree in the River), Kent Tsai (The Teenage Psychic, All Because of Love), and James Lai
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 3.5/5
The last year or so I’ve recieved a few Shudder exclusive releases to review. I have yet to be disappointed by any of these films so I’m always on the look out for the next release. Sometime go I received the press release for the 2017 Taiwanese creature feature Mon Mon Mon Monsters! It looked like a fun monster flick with the Asian flair that I have a fondness for. I reached out and was able to secure a review copy. Thank you for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out this fun flick!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows shy and timid Shu-Wei (Teng) who is the constantly under assault from the school bullies. Even the teacher is afraid to stand up to the bullies and relies on her faith more than she does doing the right thing. Things are pretty bleak for Shu-Wei but life gets tossed for a loop when he, along with the bullies, find a flesh eating monster. They are able to capture it and learn quickly that sunlight does damage the beast. They tie the creature up and begin torturing it. Shu-Wei is reluctant at first but soon follows along to fit in. Soon he is in with the bullies and they start taking up for him but deep down he feels the guilt of torturing the beast. Unaware to them, the beast was not alone and the second monster is desperately looking for the other and their paths cross forcing Shu-Wei to choose between right and wrong.**Spoiler Alert**
The artwork and trailer for this really intrigued me. I was honestly excited to check this one out and knowing Shudder’s track record I knew I would love this. The movie was surprisingly fun but I did struggle with the characters.
The acting in this one is solid. Actually, the cast does a fantastic job. The characters that I dislike was written that way. The cast is absolutely brilliant and their characters do exactly as their were written to do. You are meant to hate the bullies and still feel some sort of negative feelings for Shu-Wei as well. The cast does a great job and really brings the emotions from the viewers.
The story for this one is extremely fun and brings a new take on what could be considered a vampire mythology. I liked how the film was centered heavily around bullying in school and the social aspect of fitting in. My wife is a teacher and my degree is in education so this is something I’m very familiar with and see often. I liked how this aspect was included but I also liked how even the victim of bullying can even be persuaded to bully when those of power include him with their actions. The story has a lot going for it and I could spend all day talking about it.
Finally, the film is very giving and if you want blood it freely gives it to you. We get some great practical effects and lots of blood. The kills are extremely enjoyable and I loved the look of the creatures. They still retain their human characteristics but are changed just enough to be gruesome and terrifying. I also enjoyed the visual effects as well. They don’t overdo it and they work for the film. Overall, Mon Mon Mon Monsters! is a super fun creature feature with some social commentary added to it.
