Film review: Indie comedy horror movie Colossal really hits the spot – Derbyshire Times

06:23 Tuesday 23 May 2017

Indie comedy horror, Colossal, is quirky and original, mashing up relationship comedy with monster movie action, writes Natalie Stendall.

Anne Hathaway is Gloria, an unemployed journalist whose alcohol-fuelled party nights are curbing any chance of success.

Booted out by her boyfriend (Dan Stevens) and hoping for a fresh start, she heads back to her home town where a waitressing job in the bar of an old friend (Jason Sudeikis) fails to break her addiction to late night drinking.

When she wakes up to the news of a giant Godzilla-like monster terrorising Seoul, Gloria realises she has a psychic connection with the creature. Its the first of many bizarre twists. Colossal thrives on the unexpected.

This eccentric script is anchored by knockout performances from Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis, whose complex characters extend far beyond those typical of the genre.

Character is the cornerstone of this refreshing new film from writer-director Nacho Vigalondo (Extraterrestrial).

Reportedly made on a budget of just $15 million dollars, the monster chaos in Seoul is concise. Instead the heavy lifting is performed by Vigalondos accomplished cast in small town bars, sparse homes and a childrens playground.

The peculiar balance works. The glimpse of Seoul through social media videos and 24-hour news coverage imparts both laughs and scale. Meanwhile, Glorias evolution is liberating and empowering. Vigalondos film achieves the lightness of rom-coms and comedy-horrors with an earnest, feminist undercurrent.

As a darkness fills the void between the central characters, Colossal becomes nothing short of transfixing.

Vigalondo has a flair for small details with big ideas. Footsteps with magnified sound suggest the characters damaging footprint on each other and the world, while photos lurking in the background reveal their troubling baggage. Ultimately, Colossal turns monster movie motifs into a metaphor for alcohol dependency and pressing social issues. Admittedly, Vigalondo doesnt dig deep or labour the idea. Colossal is as subtle as it is weird.

4/5

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Film review: Indie comedy horror movie Colossal really hits the spot - Derbyshire Times