FAQ for
Monster (2003) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Monster can be found here.

No. Monster is based on the original screenplay by director Patty Jenkins. However, the character of Aileen "Lee" Wuornos (Charlize Theron) is based on the real-life serial killer of the same name. Her mugshot can be seen here.

There are many books about female serial killers that mention Aileen Wuornos. One book that deals specificially with Wuornos is Dead Ends: The Pursuit, Conviction and Execution of Female Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos, the Damsel of Death (2003) by Michael Reynolds. There are also two documentary films about Wuornos, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) and Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003), and a made-for-TV biography Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992).

Altogether, seven. They included: (1) Richard Mallory, 51, (2) Dick Humphreys, 56, (3) David Spears, 43, (4) Charles Carskaddon, (5) Peter Siems, 65, (6) Troy Burress, 50, and (7) Walter Jeno (Gino) Antonio, 62. All of the murders took place in Florida between 30 November, 1989 and 19 November, 1990. Siems' body was never found.

It's not really "hidden." Most people assume that the word "monster" refers to Aileen Wuornos and the fact that she murdered seven men. However, the "Monster" also refers to a ferris wheel that Wuornos, in the movie, says she wanted very badly to ride when she was a kid. When she finally got to ride on it, however, she became so scared and nauseous that she threw up on herself. The Monster is a metaphor for wanting something badly but not knowing what it's really like until you get it. Aileen tells this story just after she's murdered her second victim.

It's said that Charlize gained 30 pounds, shaved off her eyebrows, colored her hair, and wore contacts and prosthetic dentures to completely change her appearance.

Stories have reported that Tyria is litigious, and Patty Jenkins in an interview said that everything had to pass scrutiny by a platoon of lawyers. Consequently, they created an entirely new girlfriend, Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), who did not resemble Moore in any way.

Christina Ricci actually had broken her arm before production started so the director decided to add it to her character.

Aileen gave birth to a boy shortly after her 15th birthday in March, 1971. The child was immediately given up for adoption

Wuornos was executed via lethal injection on October 9, 2002.