Paramount has released a trailer for its upcomingDylan O’BrienmovieLove and Monsters, which like everything else, is skipping theaters and will premiere wherever smaller screens are found on Oct. 16. The trailer does a good job of showing off the impressive survival skills O’Brien learned inThe Maze Runnerfranchise, and it reminded me ofStarship Troopersa little bit, but I digress…
Set seven years after the Monsterpocalypse, the story finds Joel Dawson (O’Brien) and his fellow survivors living underground ever since giant creatures took control of the land. After reconnecting over radio with his high school girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick) – who is a mere 80 miles away, as the release specifically notes – Joel begins to fall for her again. As Joel realizes that there’s nothing left for him underground, he decides against all logic to venture out to Aimee, despite all the dangerous monsters that stand in his way.
Michael RookerandAriana Greenblattco-star in the creature feature, whichMichael Matthews, the talented filmmaker behindFive Fingers For Marseilles, directed from a script byBrian DuffieldandMatthew Robinson, based on a story by Duffield.Shawn LevyandDan Cohenproduced the film, and they know a thing or two about monsters, as they’re also behindStranger Things.John Starkealso served as an executive producer on the project.
It’s not exactly telling that Paramount would release this on VOD and digital platforms, as frankly, this is about what I always expected this film’s fate would be, even if there wasn’t a pandemic. But hey, on the bright side, at least now people at home have come to accept higher VOD pricing, so they’ve been trained in that regard, plus, the film won’t be competing with any theatrical features save forTenet.
I thinkLove and Monsterslooks decent enough fun, and though I didn’t watchIron Fist, I’ve heard good things about Henwick. Oh, and any movie that features Rooker is has to be worth a look, right? FromHenry: Portrait of a Serial KillertoMallrats, we go way back. O’Brien is a rising star who landed a great role inPeter Farrelly’s next film, and I’ll be curious to see howLove and Monstersperforms at home, not that we’ll ever know. I just worry that a movie aimed at young audiences like this will quickly be pirated by the actor’s many fans, but that’s the cynic in me.
Watch the trailer below andclick herefor more on that Farrelly movie, which finds O’Brien on a very special mission in Vietnam.
