MovieChat Forums > The Monster (2016) Discussion > There is no monster

There is no monster

posted 8 years ago by jdiz115
10 replies | jump to latest

The whole scenario is just lizzys way of coping with the death of her mother. Her mom was an addict and died of alcohol poisoning (the monster). Her mom refused to get help and kept telling her she was fine (monsters aren't real). I think Jesse was probably someone who tried to help her with her addiction but couldn't and the paramedics may have been an incident where they tried to save her but were also killed by the "monster" (i.e.they were too late). In the end the mom finally admits she has a problem by telling lizzy "she was wrong" but it's too late the monster (alcohol) already has her trapped.

Now in the end lizzy states her mother was wrong about monsters and they are out there waiting. This was the writers/directors saying that addiction is real and everyone is susceptible to them. She then states she's "not afraid" meaning she's not afraid of following in her mother's footsteps and becoming an addict.

[–] jdiz115 8 years ago

Forgot to add I think lizzy "defeating" the monster is her finally being free of her mother's alcoholism.

[–] jdiz115 8 years ago

5/10 still not a good film imo.

[–] expendaworzt 8 years ago

I Agree 3/10.....I rate my watchable movies at 4/10 anything else less is just Garbage!

[–] danblukk 8 years ago

I think your looking too much into it.

What I got from it was what ever monsters you have in your personal life there are worst monsters out there which made them forget whatever troubles they are having and come together.

I havent read anywhere the monster just symbolises something else, there is a monster and they are stuck in the woods.

Rise of the grammar nazi

[–] soupmurdock 8 years ago

You're trying too hard ...

[–] imajestr 8 years ago

Congratulations. You figured out what a metaphor is.

[–] bangel144 7 years ago

OP is so try hard.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 7 years ago

I don't think it's anywhere near as abstract as this if I'm honest, but there's definitely an allegorical link between the literal monster (which, you know, did exist because they broke down in a car in the woods and the film happened) and the 'monsters' in the relationship between the mother & daughter (i.e. The toxicity of the relationship through abuse, neglect, lack of education, emotional issues and stresses etc.

So I kind of agree with the theory you put forward, just that the films works on both levels; literal AND theoretical.

[–] theonlyidnameleft 7 years ago

I don't think people here are giving the OP enough credit. This isn't a summer blockbuster or a Blumhouse horror. It's an indie, arthouse flick in the same vein as Babadook. I have no doubt that the director had an allegory in mind similar to what the OP presented.

[–] sublimemongrel 7 years ago

Good synopsis of my understanding of it as well. As someone who knows what it's like to live with addicts (not my mother though), I thought this was an extremely heartbreaking depiction, but well done.