Monsters (2004 film)
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Jessica Ashworth
| Monsters | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Morgan |
| Written by | Robert Morgan |
| Produced by | Sylvie Bringas |
| Starring | Jack Daly Jessica Ashworth |
| Cinematography | Marcus Waterloo |
| Edited by | Nicolas Chaudeurge |
| Music by | Tara Creme |
Production companies | |
Release date |
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Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Monsters is a 2004 British short horror film written and directed by Robert Morgan. He has described the film as semi-autobiographical, as he based the story's main concept on fantasies he had during childhood.
The film was screened at various film festivals and was nominated for the Golden Melies for Best Short Horror Film of the Year.[2]
The short centers on the sibling relationship between Stan and his teenage sister Mary. The two frequently fight and Mary sees him as an annoying, strange little brother. One day Stan sees a goose head in the garden and when he goes to tell his mother, notices a nearby mental hospital. Mary delights in telling him that the hospital is home to sick, crazed individuals and that he would one day belong there as well. Later that night the two fight again when Mary discovers that Stan has put the animal head in her box of Tampax. The fight culminates in the two falling down the stairs, at which point Mary threatens to murder him.
Later Stan has a nightmare about Mary coming for him and then imagines that a mental patient has escaped the hospital and murdered his mother and Mary after ransacking the house. Some time later Mary wakes and discovers that Stan is gone. Concerned, she goes to look for him and discovers him outside near the body of a goose. It is unclear if it is the same goose as before or if Stan was the one to kill it. Mary helps him bury the duck. The two silently look at one another before returning home.
Cast
Production
Morgan based the concept of Monsters upon an idea he had as a child. Growing up, he lived near Broadmoor Hospital, causing him to fantasize about what would happen if a homicidal patient were to have escaped into the nearby forest. In interviews with Film Threat and the BBC, Morgan noted that the sibling rivalry and animosity was based on his interactions with his sister and that he would occasionally imagine that the patient would rescue him from her.[1][5]
After writing the script Morgan sent it to Cinema Extreme in hopes of receiving assistance. He was granted an interview and during the review process they gave him advice on development and about the look of the film. Morgan developed a storyboard to better communicate the story to the team, which eventually granted him the funding.[5] Due to the film's low budget, Morgan had a limited set of locations he could choose from and the house didn't turn out the way he wanted it to be. As a result, he expressed interest in redoing the film.[1]
Release
Monsters was screened at various film festivals including the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Stockholm International Film Festival. It was nominated for the Golden Melies for Best Short Horror Film of the Year.[2]
