Bryan Bertino has a thing for isolation. He proved that back in 2008 with The Strangers, a movie that basically made everyone collectively decide to stop answering the door at night. But his 2016 follow-up is different. Honestly, The Monster 2016 is one of those rare horror films that gets unfairly brushed aside because people expect a straightforward creature feature. It isn't that. Not really. It’s a messy, claustrophobic, and deeply uncomfortable look at a mother-daughter relationship that was already rotting long before they hit that puddle on a dark backroad.
The setup is deceptively simple. Kathy, played with a sort of jagged, raw desperation by Zoe Kazan, is a struggling alcoholic mother taking her daughter, Lizzy, to her father’s house. They’re driving through the woods in a rainstorm. They hit a wolf. The car dies. Then, something else arrives.
The Horror is the Relationship
Most people go into this expecting a jump-scare marathon. What they get is a series of flashbacks that are arguably scarier than the creature itself. We see Kathy’s addiction through Lizzy’s eyes. It’s brutal. One minute Kathy is a loving parent, and the next she’s a screaming, volatile mess. Ella Ballentine, who plays Lizzy, is incredible here. She carries the weight of a child who has been forced to grow up way too fast.
You’ve seen this trope before, right? The "broken family vs. the beast." But Bertino doesn't make it feel like a Hallmark movie with teeth. He makes it feel like a nightmare you can't wake up from. The monster in the woods is a physical manifestation of the toxicity between them. It’s black, oily, and relentless—just like the cycle of addiction Kathy is trapped in.
Critics like Sheila O'Malley from RogerEbert.com pointed out how the film relies heavily on its two leads, and they’re right. If Kazan and Ballentine didn’t sell the exhaustion of their bond, the whole thing would have fallen apart. The movie lives and breathes in the small, quiet moments inside that stalled car. The tension is thick. You can almost smell the damp upholstery and the stale cigarette smoke.
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Why the Practical Effects Matter
Let's talk about the creature. In an era where everything is rendered in mid-tier CGI, The Monster 2016 sticks to its guns with practical effects. It’s a hulking, wet, toothy mess. It feels heavy. When it slams against the car, the metal actually bends.
There’s a specific scene where the local tow truck driver, Jesse, arrives. It’s the classic "hope is here" moment that horror fans know is doomed. The way the creature interacts with the environment—the rain slicking off its skin, the way it blends into the pitch-black shadows—is a testament to the work of the FX team. They didn't have a massive budget, but they used what they had to create something that feels tangible.
The design isn't revolutionary. It's a big, scary thing with lots of teeth. But because we barely see it for the first hour, our brains fill in the gaps. That’s horror 101, but Bertino executes it with a patience that most modern directors lack. He waits. He lets the rain do the heavy lifting.
The Symbolism of the Backroad
The setting is a character. That stretch of road is a liminal space. Kathy and Lizzy are caught between Kathy’s past failures and a future that looks increasingly grim. They are literally stuck.
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I’ve always thought the most chilling part of the movie isn't the monster’s roar, but the silence after a fight between Kathy and Lizzy. The film suggests that the world outside the car is dangerous, sure, but the world inside the car is just as volatile. When Kathy tells Lizzy she’s "not a good mother," it cuts deeper than any claw mark.
It’s worth noting that the film didn't blow up the box office. It was a quiet release from A24—back before every A24 horror movie became a cultural event. But over the years, it’s gained a cult following because it resonates with people who understand that sometimes, the "monsters" we face are the ones we carry with us. It’s not a fun watch. It’s a heavy, emotional slog that just happens to have a literal beast in it.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
Some folks hate the ending. They think it’s too bleak or, conversely, too metaphorical. Without spoiling the final beats, the resolution of The Monster 2016 is about agency. For Lizzy, the fight isn't just about surviving the night. It’s about surviving her childhood.
The monster can be seen as Kathy’s addiction. It’s something that consumes everything in its path. To beat it, Lizzy has to step out of the shadow of her mother’s protection—or lack thereof—and find her own strength. It’s a rite of passage bathed in blood and rain.
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Is it perfect? No. Some of the logic leaps regarding the monster's behavior can be a bit frustrating. Why doesn't it just smash the window immediately? Why does it wait? But in the context of a fable—which is basically what this is—those logic gaps don't matter as much as the emotional beats.
How to Appreciate This Movie Now
If you’re going to revisit this or watch it for the first time, don't watch it like a slasher. Watch it as a drama.
- Pay attention to the lighting: The way the interior of the car shifts from warm to cold tones mirrors Kathy's moods.
- Listen to the sound design: The creature’s movements are often signaled by the environment—breaking branches, shifting gravel—rather than just a generic soundtrack cue.
- Look at the hands: There’s a lot of focus on Kathy and Lizzy’s hands throughout the film. Reaching out, pulling away, trembling. It says more than the dialogue ever could.
Ultimately, this movie is a reminder that horror is at its best when it’s about something real. It’s a small, intimate story that uses a monster to talk about the things we’re too afraid to say out loud.
Next Steps for Horror Fans
To get the most out of your experience with The Monster, pair it with a "trauma-horror" double feature. Watch it alongside The Babadook or Hereditary. Observe how each film uses a different supernatural entity to represent grief, depression, or addiction. Afterward, look into the behind-the-scenes work of the makeup and creature effects team, led by Robert Kurtzman, to see how they built the beast without relying on digital shortcuts. This provides a much deeper appreciation for the tactile, grimy atmosphere Bertino was aiming for.