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Entirely produced by a two-man team led by ex-BBC special effects genius, Gareth Edwards, Monsters supposedly cost just $15,000 to make. This seems hard to believe, given the sheer quality of the film making on show, the location and the effects within - you'd think you were watching something with a budget closer to £15 million.

BUT, and here's a the problem... the film has been marketed to ruinous effect. If you've seen the trailer, or basically any of the promotional material, you will be in for a huge let down. If you've seen the comparisons to District 9 and Cloverfield you will be in for a huge let down. If you've seen the billboard posters that includes the word 'Terrifying' you will wonder if the reviewer had ever actually watched the film.

Monsters is NOT a monster film. It is NOT an action film, it's barely sci-fi and it's certainly not horror. Instead, what we get is one of the most original - and beautiful looking - epic road-trip flicks that I've ever seen. The world we're immersed into is utterly convincing and brilliantly realised. Despite the somewhat fantastical conceit, you don't doubt it for a minute.

On the downside, the dialogue is, at times, fairly poor and, as it turns out, the main point of the film doesn't seem to work - of all the things in it that shouldn't be believable, it's something very human that just doesn't click (or make much sense at all, really).

I won't say too much more, as I don't want to give too much away, but will suggest that if you've yet to hear anything about Monsters, try and keep it that way if you think you may end up watching it. I wish I'd come to the film without having seen any of the promo material.

For what you'd be led to believe you were going to see: 4/10
For what the film actually is: 7.5/10

One thing's for sure, though, Gareth Edwards should now have opened doors to be able to do virtually anything he wants... and, by God, if he did get his hands on a $15 million budget I, for one, would be first in line to see what he does with it.

Ive read some great things about it in Empire (including that it was a road movie and not an all out monster fest so knew what to expect) and luckily havent seen any of the promo stuff.
Looking forward to seeing it.

I saw this yesterday and absolutely loved it.