Monstrum (2018) Review

“Monstrum” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Huh Jong-Ho
Cast: Kim Myung-Min, Kim In-Kwon, Hyeri, Choi Woo-Sik, Lee Kyoung-Young, Park Hee-Soon, Park Sung-Woong, Lee Kyu-Bok, Kim Joong-Hee, Lee Seo-An
Running Time: 105 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Ever since the success of Bong Joon-ho’s The Host in 2006, Korea’s had an on-again off-again relationship with the creature feature. Putting the social commentary aside that Joon-ho’s Han River dwelling monstrosity represented, subsequent efforts have seen the likes of mutant boars in the 2008 horror comedy Chaw, deep sea mutations with 2011’s action thriller Sector 7, and killer wolfdogs in 2012’s murder mystery Howling. In 2018 the monster flick took a break from being set in contemporary Korea, and was transported back to the Joseon era with Monstrum, which sees the cause of several gruesome deaths taking place in the mountains rumoured to be that of a vicious beast called (you guessed it), Monstrum.

Like many a Joseon era set thriller, Monstrum utilises the tried and tested formula of a trusted general who’s put his violent past behind him being called up by the emperor for one last job. In this case it’s looking into if the beast is actually real, or if it’s just a scare mongering fabrication by duplicitous palace officials wishing to usurp him from the throne. The general in question is played by Kim Myung-min (The Battle of Jangsari, Deranged), who lives with his adopted daughter played by K-pop star Hyeri, here making her big screen debut after featuring in a number of K-dramas, and his bumbling loyal sidekick played by Kim In-kwon (Revenger, The Divine Move). Along with a royal advisor played by Choi Wooshik (Parasite, The Witch: Part 1.The Subversion), together they set out to uncover the truth, however the ambitions of man may turn out to be far more dangerous than the prospect of any beast.

I write that slightly over dramatic last line as Monstrum is a strange beast indeed (pun intended). A significant amount of time is spent on Myung-min and co.’s investigation into reported sightings and analysing the bodies of the alleged victims, to the point that it becomes apparent that the beast is in fact an imaginary threat. All fingers point to a nefarious palace official played by Lee Kyung-young (Inside Men, White Badge) and military man Park Sung-woong (The Great Battle, The Shameless), who in your typical dose of Joseon era palace intrigue, are planning to turn the people against the emperor and seize power for themselves. At one point Kyung-young even confesses to the fact that he made the whole thing up to cause unrest and set himself up to be the hero, so what are the chances going to be that there actually is a beast? According to Monstrum, apparently high, otherwise it’d be a pretty poor monster flick.

All of this means though that director Heo Jong-ho takes a gamble on the audience’s willingness to be yanked back and forth in terms of where their focus should be. The first half asks us to focus on the obligatory palace intrigue, the kind that’s a prerequisite in any period genre piece, to a point it’s debatable if a movie would survive if said intrigue alone was its only driving force. Compare that to the latter half, that then says kick back and enjoy a bloodthirsty monster stampeding around Joseon era Korea, tearing people in half and stamping them into bloody pulps. Indeed maybe the introduction of the monster is Jong-ho telling us he also agrees palace intrigue alone no longer cuts it, and if that is the case, then he at least deserves kudos for coming up with something different to utilise the familiar surrounds in a way that feels new.

Mostrum is Jong-ho’s third outing as a director, after a pair of unremarkable thrillers with 2011’s Countdown and 2015’s The Advocate: A Missing Body, and is easily his most entertaining work to date. Whether its intentional or not the narrative recklessly swings between genres, but rather than being a detriment, it allows the 105-minute runtime to feel briskly paced. That tendency to genre hop was arguably present in his other work, but this feels like the first time he’s been able to pull it off successfully and avoid a negative impact to the pacing. Opening with a grim scene of royal soldiers massacring civilians believed to have the plague, if anyone was to stop watching Monstrum after the first 5 minutes, they’d probably be under the impression the remainder would be a dark exploration of human corruption and revenge. 

Instead, we get comedic detours involving characters bickering, hints of romance, a handful of martial arts infused fight scenes, a CSI-style investigation, and a healthy dose of rollicking action adventure. Some elements may feel a little derivative, with the investigation parts recalling similar scenes in the likes of 2005’s Blood Rain, however Jong-ho gets away with it largely because we never spend too much time on any one element. All of this comes wrapped in the guise of a creature feature, and ultimately thanks to so many seemingly disparate elements, Monstrum ends up feeling like more than the sum of its parts. It also helps that the 100% CGI monster is complimented by some solid practical gore effects, with the dismembered body parts strewn around in the aftermath of its attacks looking suitably realistic and gruesome.

Of course despite all of the elements that Jong-ho populates the screen with, the real reason why anyone is clocking into Monstrum is to check out the titular monster. To that end, it delivers, rendered as what can best be described as a four-legged oversized Critter that’s covered in plague infested sores. Chances are if you do manage to avoid being ripped apart during the initial encounter, you’d have to be extra lucky to also not catch the plague from being in its vicinity. There’s a satisfying backstory provided as to how the beast ended up the way it is, and the fact that it’s basically a walking contagious disease raises the stakes that little bit higher. Onscreen its well-integrated into the surroundings and performers, waylaying any fears for a repeat of the underwhelmingly average monster seen in Sector 7, and delivering a worthy focal point for the mayhem that unfolds whenever it appears.

Despite it lurking in the darkness of the mountains, Jong-ho is fully aware of the premise that he has on his hands, and doesn’t pass up the opportunity to deliver an extended finale that sees the monster tearing it up in the palace grounds. Just as the duplicitous pair of Kyung-young and Sung-woong are planning to make their move again the emperor, played by Park Hee-soon (The Fortress, The Age of Shadows), all hell breaks loose. 2018 also gave us Rampant, which followed a similar premise but instead of transferring a monster to a Joseon era setting, it did it with zombies. Monstrum succeeds though where Rampant failed mainly because it seems to know when to dial back the more serious moments, and simply let a creature feature be exactly that, which in this case involves an oversized beast clambering up the palace walls and swotting away any hapless soul in its path.

It’s a willingness to not take itself too seriously that works in Monstrum’s favour, and after the guessing game of the first half, the latter half dedicates itself whole heartedly to delivering equal amounts of action and monster-related antics, with some well timed humour sprinkled in. It’s safe to say those clocking in hoping for a dark and meaningful tale will walk away disappointed by the tone the narrative eventually settles on, opting for popcorn entertainment over any deeper meaning, but it does what it sets out to do with a contagious enthusiasm which makes it difficult not to enjoy. For those who’ve become weary of the predictable palace intrigue plots that these settings tend to lend themselves too, Monstrum proves that throwing a blood thirsty monstrosity into the mix is an entertaining way to liven things up, and for that alone, it’s worth a watch.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10