As a film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that Love and Monsters is a shining example of a unique and entertaining movie that deserves recognition beyond its unfortunate box office performance.
Over the last ten years, Dylan O’Brien has rapidly established himself as one of the busiest young actors in Hollywood. Following his breakout performance in the Maze Runner series starting in 2014, O’Brien has left a lasting impact with roles ranging from intense real-life dramas like Deepwater Horizon to high-profile franchise films such as Bumblebee, and more recently he portrayed comedy icon Dan Aykroyd in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night Live origin tale titled Saturday Night.
Although Love and Monsters, O’Brien’s most acclaimed film to date, was widely praised by critics in 2020 as an entertaining sci-fi adventure with a remarkable 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it fell flat in theaters, earning just $1.1 million against its production budget of $30 million. Despite the positive feedback and notable performances, it remains unclear why this charming film, lauded by critics, didn’t resonate with theater audiences.
The Origins of Love and Monsters
In the hands of director Michael Matthews, and scripted by Matthew Robinson as well as Brian Duffield, who later went on to direct “No One Will Save You”, the film titled “Love and Monsters” unfolds a tale set in a post-apocalyptic world. Here, ordinary animals have evolved into colossal monstrosities, terrorizing humankind. Those who survived are now confined to living underground, carving out a meager existence amidst the ongoing struggle against these gigantic beasts.
In this rephrased version: Nick O’Brien portrays Joel, a spirited young man with aspirations of battling monsters, embarks on a perilous trek to locate his girlfriend Aimee (the rising star Jessica Henwick), whom he was separated from when their town was evacuated. Despite his determination, Joel is underprepared for the challenges ahead, encountering numerous hazardous creatures and discovering that much of what he thought he knew about these monsters is untrue. O’Brien skillfully makes Joel a character we want to cheer for, and his initial voiceover provides a rich backdrop for the world he enters, setting the stage for the film’s humorous and clever tone.
The movie “Love and Monsters,” originally known as “Monster Problems,” took a long journey before reaching the big screen. In 2012, Paramount Pictures decided to develop this project based on a spec script by Duffield and produced by Shawn Levy. However, development was halted for several years until 2018 when O’Brien was cast and Matthews agreed to direct. The production finally began in 2019. The release date was delayed multiple times, initially scheduled for March 2020, then again to April 2020, and eventually to February 2021.
Following approximately ten years of production, “Love and Monsters” unexpectedly made its debut earlier than anticipated, albeit not in a manner the creators might have foreseen or planned for. Amidst numerous changes, an unprecedented event occurred that even the most astute studio analysts could not have foreseen: the outbreak of COVID-19 and the havoc it caused within the film industry.
Paramount’s Pandemic Pandemonium
As the virus took hold globally, movie theaters had to shut down due to stay-at-home mandates, causing significant changes in the release plans for films like Love and Monsters. Hollywood was forced to think outside the box as the finished movies were either delayed, shortened, or moved to streaming platforms. With people craving an escape more than ever, some movies continued to be released in theaters, but few were able to recoup their budgets through theatrical releases alone when very few were comfortable visiting a movie theater during this time.
As per an article published in Deadline in August 2020, Paramount decided to bring forward the release date of the movie “Love and Monsters.” This move made it available both in theaters and for video-on-demand viewing. The film had its premiere on October 16th, 2020, but only managed to earn $255,000 in theaters during its first weekend – a sum that would typically be considered extremely poor under regular circumstances.
Love and Monsters Was an At-Home Success
Fortunately, Love and Monsters thrived under the unusual conditions of fall 2020. Instead of following the usual box office trajectory, the film excelled on video-on-demand platforms, becoming the top rental on Apple TV and Fandango during its debut weekend. It continued to hold a prominent position in subsequent weekends. A streaming release on Netflix followed in April 2021, and while Netflix rarely discloses its viewership figures, it’s reasonable to infer that its appearance on the platform boosted the film’s overall value for the studio.
To this day, no plans have been disclosed for a sequel set in the intricate sci-fi universe of “Love and Monsters”, which is unfortunate given its engaging narrative and rarity as a Hollywood production not derived from an existing intellectual property. It’s possible that “Love and Monsters” will join the ranks of potential blockbusters derailed by the pandemic, but one fact has become evident in the four years since its debut: Dylan O’Brien is destined for greatness.
Love and Monsters
is available to stream on Prime Video and Paramount+.
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2024-11-11 07:31