Tom DeLonge has always been the "UFO guy." Long before he was testifying to Congress or running To The Stars Academy, he was the guy in Blink-182 singing about aliens in the garage. So, when he finally stepped behind the camera to direct his first feature film, nobody was shocked that it involved government conspiracies, teenagers on bikes, and paranormal entities. But the real heartbeat of the movie isn't just the flashy CGI or the San Diego sunsets; it’s the cast of Monsters of California.
Honestly, the movie feels like a love letter to 80s Amblin films, but with a lot more swearing and dick jokes. It’s a weird, specific vibe. To pull that off, you need a group of actors who don't just feel like "actors," but like actual friends who grew up skating together and obsessed over urban legends. Finding that chemistry is harder than it looks.
The Core Trio: Jack, Dallas, and Riley
At the center of the story is Dallas Edwards, played by Jack Samson.
Samson isn't a household name yet, but he carries the weight of the film as the kid searching for the truth about his missing father. He’s got that wide-eyed, slightly anxious energy that reminds you of a young Shia LaBeouf. It’s a grounded performance in a movie that gets pretty ungrounded pretty fast. He isn't playing a superhero; he's playing a teenager who is way over his head.
Then you have Bryce Gheisar, who plays Riley. You might recognize Bryce from Wonder or the Nickelodeon series The Astronauts. In this film, he’s the more pragmatic one, the guy who acts as a foil to Dallas's obsession. Their dynamic is the engine of the movie. It's that classic "us against the world" trope, but it works because they actually look like they’ve known each other since kindergarten.
The trio is rounded out by Jared Scott, who plays Kelly. Scott brings a bit more of the "cool guy" energy to the group, but he’s just as involved in the chaos. Together, these three actors have to sell the idea that they would risk their lives to chase a ghost—or a monster—through the California hills.
Richard Kind: The Unexpected MVP
If you follow character actors, you know Richard Kind. He is everywhere. From Spin City to Curb Your Enthusiasm, he is the master of the "stressed-out but lovable" archetype. In the cast of Monsters of California, he plays Dr. Walker.
👉 See also: The Real Story Behind I Can Do Bad All by Myself: From Stage to Screen
Kind is brilliant here. He provides the exposition that could easily feel dry or boring, but because it's Richard Kind, it’s twitchy and engaging. He’s the bridge between the kids’ amateur sleuthing and the high-level government secrets they’re trying to uncover. He’s basically the "crazy" scientist who turns out to be right all along.
Casper Van Dien and the Authority Figures
You can't have a sci-fi conspiracy movie without some shadowy authority figures or skeptical adults. Casper Van Dien shows up as George Edwards, Dallas’s father.
Van Dien is a genre legend. Starship Troopers is basically in the DNA of every sci-fi fan, so seeing him here is a nice nod to the audience. Even though his role is more about the mystery surrounding his disappearance, his presence hangs over the whole film. It gives the stakes a personal edge for the protagonist.
Then there is Arianne Zucker, who plays Dallas’s mother, Leah. Zucker is a veteran of Days of Our Lives, and she brings a much-needed emotional weight to the household scenes. While the boys are out chasing lights in the sky, she’s the one dealing with the fallout of a broken family. It’s a thankless role in a "boys on an adventure" movie, but she makes it feel real.
Camille Kostek and the Social Media Angle
In a very "of the moment" casting choice, Camille Kostek appears as Meg.
Kostek, known for her modeling work and hosting, represents the modern world colliding with the paranormal. The movie touches on how we document everything now—if a monster appears, someone is going to try to get it on TikTok. Her character adds a layer of contemporary relevance to a story that otherwise feels very nostalgic for the 1990s.
✨ Don't miss: Love Island UK Who Is Still Together: The Reality of Romance After the Villa
Why the Chemistry Matters
Look, the cast of Monsters of California had a specific job: make the audience believe in the unbelievable. If the kids don't sell the fear and the wonder, the movie falls apart.
DeLonge clearly directed them to be loose. There’s a lot of overlapping dialogue. There are jokes that feel like they were improvised on the spot. It’s messy, but it’s human. In a world of over-polished Marvel movies where every line feels like it was written by a committee, there’s something refreshing about watching a group of kids just riffing.
One of the biggest misconceptions about this movie is that it’s just a "UFO movie." It's actually a coming-of-age story wrapped in a tinfoil hat. The actors had to balance the silliness of the script with the very real trauma of growing up in a town full of secrets.
Gabrielle Haugh and the Mystery
Gabrielle Haugh plays Kelly, adding another layer to the group dynamic. Haugh has done horror before—specifically The Midnight Man—so she knows how to handle the "scary stuff." Her inclusion ensures the group isn't just a monolith of teenage boys; it expands the perspective and adds to the group's collective courage.
Behind the Scenes Influence
While not technically "cast," Tom DeLonge’s fingerprints are all over the performances. He reportedly encouraged the actors to lean into the absurdity. He wanted the banter to feel like the stuff he used to say to his bandmates in the van.
This influence is most obvious in the scenes where the boys are just hanging out. They talk about everything from girls to the deep state, often in the same breath. It’s that specific brand of suburban boredom that leads people to look for monsters in the first place.
🔗 Read more: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
How to Approach the Movie
If you’re going into this looking for a high-budget, Interstellar-style epic, you might be disappointed. That's not what this cast was assembled for. This is an indie film with a DIY heart.
To get the most out of the experience, focus on the interactions between Samson, Gheisar, and Scott. Their friendship is the "monster" they’re actually trying to save as they stand on the precipice of adulthood. The paranormal elements are just the catalyst for them to realize that the world is much weirder—and much more dangerous—than they thought.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- Watch for the cameos: There are several nods to the UFO community and DeLonge's own history.
- Don't ignore the parents: The scenes with Arianne Zucker and the memory of Casper Van Dien are the film's emotional backbone.
- Pay attention to Richard Kind: He’s doing some of his funniest and most frantic work here.
The best way to appreciate the cast of Monsters of California is to view them as a snapshot of a very specific California subculture. It’s about the skaters, the dreamers, and the kids who never quite outgrew the feeling that there’s something hiding in the woods.
To dig deeper into the world of this film, start by looking up the real-life incidents that inspired the script. Tom DeLonge has publicly stated that many of the "fictional" events in the movie are based on declassified information or personal accounts he has collected over the years. Comparing the actors' performances to the real-life testimonies of UAP witnesses adds an entirely new level of creepiness to the viewing experience. Go back and watch the scenes with Dr. Walker—Kind isn't just playing a character; he's playing a composite of several real-world whistleblowers.
Next Steps for the Viewer:
- Check out the soundtrack: Since Tom DeLonge directed, the music is intrinsically tied to the pacing and the cast's energy.
- Research To The Stars Academy: If you want to know the "why" behind the movie's plot, this is the real-world organization that fueled the script.
- Look for the "Easter Eggs": There are several Blink-182 references hidden in the background of the kids' bedrooms.