| Monster | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Mandler |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Monster byWalter Dean Myers |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Devlin |
| Edited by | Joe Klotz |
| Music by | Harvey Mason Jr. |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Monster is a 2018 Americanlegal drama film directed byAnthony Mandler, from a screenplay byRadha Blank,[1] Cole Wiley, and Janece Shaffer, based on the novelof the same name byWalter Dean Myers. It starsKelvin Harrison Jr.,Jennifer Ehle,Tim Blake Nelson,Nas,ASAP Rocky,Paul Ben-Victor,John David Washington,Jennifer Hudson, andJeffrey Wright. Wright, Nas, andJohn Legend also serve as executive producers on the film.
Three years after its world premiere at theSundance Film Festival on January 22, 2018, the film was acquired byNetflix and released on May 7, 2021. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
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Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) a seventeen-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder. The film follows his dramatic journey from a smart, likeable film student from Harlem attending an elite high school through a complex legal battle that could leave him spending the rest of his life in prison.[2]
— Netflix
The film premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the2018 Sundance Film Festival.[3] In April 2019, it was announced thatEntertainment Studios had acquired distribution rights to the film, retitledAll Rise.[4][5] In November 2020,Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film, with the title switching back toMonster.[6] It was released on their service on May 7, 2021.[7][8]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 68% of 62 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Monster would have benefited from a less heavy-handed approach, but Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s performance gives this timely drama emotional heft."[9] According toMetacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on 18 critics, the film received "mixed or average reviews".[10]