In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Monsters of California from Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge alongside Ian Miller.
Synopsis
Among the blue skies and sunny vistas of Southern California lives teenager Dallas Edwards (Jack Samson) and his wayward friends Riley (Jared Scott) and Toe (Jack Lancaster), who are on a quest for the meaning behind a series of mysterious, paranormal events. It’s years on from his dad’s disappearance and, although his family are still grieving, they’re starting to move on with their lives… but Dallas believes there’s much more to what happened than meets the eye.
Joseph: Obviously inspired by Amblin Entertainment features, stoner comedies, and many a "The X-Files" topic, Monsters of California is ultimately an attempt at Close Encounters of the Third Kind for millennials. It’s highly watchable, if not exactly for the reasons that DeLonge and Miller meant. Richard Kind and Gabrielle Haugh give the performances that I found most appealing.
Mike: If you grew up watching classic 80s Amblin movies like E.T. or The Goonies, there's definitely a nostalgic, almost charming feel to Monsters of California. There’s a group of misfit teenagers, including a grieving kid whose dad mysteriously vanished, stumbling into paranormal shenanigans. The chemistry between the three main boys – Dallas, Riley, and Toe – is pretty solid. They bicker, they goof around, and they feel like actual buddies. Richard Kind, who shows up as a scientist, also gives a surprisingly subdued performance that actually adds a bit of eerie tension, which is a nice touch amidst the chaos. Plus, for an indie flick, it looks far better than I’m sure its budget was. The cinematography is clean, and the effects are admirable, which is a big win when you're dealing with aliens and Bigfoot.
Joseph: “Dude, have you ever wondered about life and what it all means?” pseudophilosophy meets “Dude, what if there really are aliens from space . . . and Bigfoot (reduced here to a jump scare and a urination gag) . . . and government conspiracies to cover it all up?” pseudophilosophy in Monsters of California. The characters are stock, from the misunderstood grieving son to the stoner quasi-comic relief who, in this case, eats six pot brownies and is still the group’s designated driver. We get extra characters to seemingly balance out conflict, such as Dallas’s sister to deescalate family arguments to the Riley character, who isn’t along for much more than covering the middle ground between the extremes of Dallas and Toe. The situations don’t fare much better. The budding romance! The family strife! The wacky misadventures of youngsters in over their heads! It’s all here, and less.
Mike: The biggest issue with Monsters of California is that it can't decide what it wants to be. It starts with ghosts, then jumps to Bigfoot, then full-on aliens and government conspiracies. The tone swings wildly from heartfelt coming-of-age drama to slapstick comedy with fart jokes, and then to serious expository dumps about cosmic consciousness. It’s like a bunch of cool ideas were thrown into a blender without a clear recipe. The dialogue often feels incredibly preachy, like Tom DeLonge just took his favorite talking points from interviews and shoved them directly into the characters' mouths. Some of the subplots, like the romance or the mom's new boyfriend, feel totally tacked on and don't really go anywhere. And honestly, the humor often falls flat, leaning heavily on low-brow gags that detract from any genuine moments.
Joseph: Entertaining at times but frustrating at others, Monsters of California should click with some of its target audience members but brings nothing new to the sci-fi template that has been around since at least Quinn Martin’s 1967-68 series "The Invaders" — and I’m sure before that, too — and continues with "Stranger Things".
Mike: Monsters of California is a messy, enthusiastic swing for the fences. It's got heart, especially in the friendship between the main crew, and you can tell DeLonge poured his genuine passion for the subject matter into it. It has its moments of charm and even some cool visuals. But ultimately, it's a bit of a hot mess. It tries to do too much, and in doing so, it dilutes any strong impact. Approach it with low expectations and a willingness to ride a very bumpy, albeit occasionally fun, cinematic wave.
Monsters of California
Directed By: Tom DeLonge
Written By: Tom DeLonge, Ian Miller, Ian Thomas Miller
Starring: Jack Samson, Jack Lancaster, Jared Scott
Run Time: 1h 50m
Rating: NR
Release Date: October 6, 2023 (United States)
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