'Monster' refers to the opening statement made by the prosecutor and how he chooses to label Steve, - Kelvin Harrison Jr- based on a presumed guilt that isn't just a result of his position within the courtroom but also because of Steve's race, the idea that a 17-year-old black male is somehow inherently barbaric.
It's the same assumption that's led to countless state-sanctioned killings or imprisonments, based less on facts of the case and more the fear that surrounds it and Monster smartly avoids looking at the frustration of the political to focus on the horror of the personal. Just how terrifying would every stage of this process be for a teen?
Aside from the harrowing practicalities of life in prison, how would an already fractured time mentally effect an adolescent. Then shatter under this new lens? How would one then start to view one's self?
The trick for Steve and his lawyer (Jennifer Ehle) is to turn him into a human for the members of the jury, rather than the stereotype as they see him.
The same applies for first-time director Anthony Mandler, working against members of the audience who might arrive to the film, and the situation, with similar 'baggage'
A thoroughly enjoyable movie. I've given this 7/10.
