Skip to content

MONSTER 1983

Written By:

Andrew Marshall
monster1983

On the surface the sleepy town of Harmony Bay, Oregon looks like any other anonymous coastal settlement, but beneath its innocuous exterior simmers a disproportionate volume of darkness waiting to emerge. And that doesn’t even take into account the series of killings about to begin, whose horrifically distinctive brutality will fuel the nightmares of all involved.

The setting of summer idyll shattered by otherworldly danger gives the story the feel of a dramatised Stephen King novel, although without the painfully dated slang or refusal to accept that culture has progressed beyond the 1960s. Although having a fairly straightforward premise, Monster is a complex assortment of interwoven events following a wide ensemble cast. Front and centre is Sheriff Cody, a single father not long into his new job after transferring from crime-ridden streets of Orlando with his teenage son and young daughter, and under increasing pressure in a variety of ways from the insular townsfolk to prove himself worthy of being accepted as one of them.

Aside from Cody, his family and his colleagues, few characters make any significant impact, and short scenes involving several people often leave you with little understanding of who each of them is and exactly what place in the story they are supposed to have. Variously taking prominence are an obstinate mayor, a mysterious fortune teller, taciturn government agents and a sinister man visiting locals seemingly without purpose, along with various drunks, stoners, hippies and generically disgruntled locals too numerous to properly tabulate. Several sub-plots pepper proceedings that further complicate an already bloated narrative, and to begin with it makes you wonder how it will all tie together, and then if it will.

A few too many overt statements are used to specify the action and implied visuals, which character reactions and sound effects make perfectly clear by themselves. Also, numerous unnecessary references to contemporary culture and technology are shoehorned in to make it clear exactly when the story takes place, as if this wasn’t expressed in the opening monologue and the drama’s very name.

Aside from these issues, the story is for the most part a suitably creepy mystery, and its unflinching horror angle challenges your imagination to conjure suitably grisly visuals to match the scene descriptions. Various monsters both supernatural and all too human are uncovered as the story progresses, making it debatable to whom the title actually refers.

With lingering plot points, a cliffhanger ending and To Be Continued denouement, it’s a little frustrating that the concentration expended on Monster’s story doesn’t fully pay off, but it does at least make you look forward to the release of what we can hope is an adequate conclusion.

MONSTER 1983 / DIRECTOR: CHERRY COOKSON / WRITER: IVAR LEON MENGER , ANETTE STROHMEYER , RAIMON WEBER / STARRING: CALLUM BLUE, ANASTASIA GRIFFITH, MARC WARREN, LORELEI KING, STUART MILLIGAN / PUBLISHER: AUDIBLE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

Andrew Marshall

You May Also Like...

black widow star scarlett johansson in talks to lead new universal jurassic world film

Scarlett Johansson In Talks To Join JURASSIC WORLD Film

Another MCU star appears to be taking up the reins for Universal’s new Jurassic World movie: two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead the franchise that
Read More

Exclusive Reveal! Titan Comics to Deliver Prehistoric Hysterics in First 2 DUMB DINOS Collection

Titan Comics have exclusively revealed to STARBURST that they’re gearing up to publish the first-ever collection of the hilarious cult digital comic strip 2 Dumb Dinos, and we’re not the
Read More

New Dates For Lovecraftian Key of Dreams

Key of Dreams has announced new spaces for its titular immersive luxury horror event. The critically acclaimed company is known for its overnight experiences that dunk you into a strange
Read More

FAB Café to Host Free Film Screening of New Indie Comedy SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY

We’re well known for our championing of truly independent filmmakers here at STARBURST, so it’s doubly exciting to be writing about one of our own! After joining the crew in
Read More
colin farrell returns as oswald cobblepot in the penguin series trailer

Colin Farrell Returns In THE PENGUIN Trailer

Colin Farrell returns as Gotham City’s answer to Tony Soprano in the first trailer for Max series The Penguin, which spins out of the world of the 2022 DC film
Read More
michael keaton as beetlejuice in beetlejuice 2 trailer

First Look At Jenna Ortega In BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE Trailer

Almost 40 years down the road, the infamous bio-exorcist finally returns in the first trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic film. Jenna Ortega (Wednesday,
Read More