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Monster
2003 109 min United States of America, Germany R 18+
★7.9
Crime, Drama
Director: Patty Jenkins
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a trick, who she kills. A string of murder and robbery follows that ultimately leads Aileen to becoming America's first female serial killer.
Budget:
$8M
US Gross:
$34.47M
Worldwide:
$58.47M
Starring
Charlize Theron
Actor
Christina Ricci
Actor
Bruce Dern
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 2004
— Best Actress (Drama)
Academy Awards 2004
— Best Actress
Berlin International Film Festival 2004
— Silver Bear – Best Actress
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2004
— Best Actress
Berlin International Film Festival 2004
— Silver Bear – Best Actress
BAFTA 2005
— Best Actress
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2004
— Best Actress
Berlin International Film Festival 2004
— Golden Bear
Key opinion
Monster is widely recognized for Charlize Theron's transformative, career-defining performance as Aileen Wuornos, which anchors the film's gritty exploration of a tragic life. While the film is praised for its unflinching, somber tone and social commentary, it divides audiences regarding its moral perspective on the protagonist's violent actions.
| Acting | Charlize Theron’s transformative physical and emotional performance succeeds in balancing the protagonist's repulsive nature with a deep, tragic humanity. | |
| Production | The highly detailed, visceral makeup work is a standout technical achievement that plays a critical role in the film's grim realism. | |
| Theme | The film offers a somber, bleak, and uncompromising look at the cycle of trauma and marginalization rather than a traditional biographical crime thriller. | |
| Theme | The film’s moral stance is contentious; viewers are split between seeing the protagonist as a complex, sympathetic victim of fate and as an irredeemable, amoral criminal who lacks justification for her actions. | |
| Acting | Opinions on Christina Ricci's supporting performance are divided between those who see it as a subtle, essential catalyst and those who find it overacted or grotesque. | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, linear pacing is viewed by some as an immersive, essential experience, while others find the film heavy, slow, and lacking sufficient spectacle. |