Review: Colossal (2016)

After her break-up with her boyfriend over her lifestyle, Gloria returns to her hometown. When news reports talk about a giant monster showing up in Seoul, Gloria begins to realise she is somehow connected to it...

Kaiju or giant monster films often have a major problem; the characters are not interesting. Most films are dull in the 'human' parts, only getting good in the scenes of carnage. Colossal is a completely different, well, beast. Here the film isn't really about the monsters but much more about the characters.

Gloria is an unemployed writer, who gradually begins to realise she needs to make changes. In her hometown, she runs into Oscar, an old school friend. As their friendship grows, she confides in him and others about the strange link she has with the creature. Her boyfriend, Tim, still cares for her and keeps in contact to make sure she is doing okay. Unlike many films of this type, the characters are complex and interesting and, importantly, develop as the story progress often in surprising,dramatic and emotional ways.

But then this is a completely different type of film. Nacho Vigalondo, the writer and director isn't really interested in the monsters at all. Obviously the film doesn't have a huge budget (around $15M apparently) needed for spectacle, so to get round that, Vigalondo does something very clever, hearing the reactions of those watching on TV to the carnage. Because it's more interested in the characters, he, as director, can take his time telling his story, letting it develop well.

There is much more plot going on here than I can talk about, without going into spoiler territory. but this is a darker tale that it first suggests. I'm not a fan of trailers that mislead, but in this case it is justified, as the film begins to turn into a different film altogether. It's a film that deals with anxiety, abuse and other issues too. Vigalondo's script is a good one and it tells a more personal story than you might expect. He also doesn't over-explain the reason for the connection. We see what it is, but because the film is exploring other issues, it never goes beyond that and we, in the audience can except this.

The cast are first rate. Anne Hathaway excels as Gloria. But the real surprise here is Jason Sudeikis as Oscar. Often regulated to humorous roles, he is superb in a complex role. Dan Stevens plays Tim and while not given a lot of screen time, is pretty good, as are Tim Blake Nelson and Austin Stowell in supporting roles.

I was really impressed with this film. Nacho Vigalondo has made an impressive film. I wasn't a fan of his filmTime Crimes, enjoyed Open Windows (until it went really silly by the end), but Colossal is not only one of the most surprising films of the year, but also one of my favourites.

Highly recommended.

Rating - 4/5