Synopsis:
While trying to salvage her career and rehabilitate her tarnished reputation, a disgraced journalist (Lily Sullivan) begins digging into a strange conspiracy theory via a controversial new investigative podcast. But as the evidence begins leading uncomfortably close to home, she will be forced to grapple with the web of lies at the heart of her own story.
What We Thought:
Monolith is an interesting, but flawed film. It’s pretty much a single location and single physical character movie. I say physical because there are other characters, but they are only voices from phone conversations or recordings for a podcast. I’m also not sure if it makes a lick of sense, but it was good for a watch and it at least held my attention throughout.
The one physical character is a journalist with a tarnished reputation who didn’t fact check a previous story. She starts her own investigative podcast and soon does a deep dive into a story about a black brick. One voice she talks to has a collection of them. Another female voice had one, but a family stole it from her. She learns the bricks aren’t your average brick and at first the viewer isn’t sure if they are magical, paranormal or maybe even alien. She might also have a personal connection to someone involved in her investigation.
One of the good things about the movie is that it never really explains these bricks. Each brick seems to effect people differently and they seem to have gotten them in different ways too. Family members think people don’t act like themselves after getting them as well. By not explaining any of it, the film never breaks any of its own rules.
Unfortunately it’s also the biggest drawback. By the end of the movie I can’t tell you if I even understood it. To me they come across as alien and you eventually see why family members think the person who got one has changed. But what does it mean? What was I supposed to take away from it? Is it an invasion? Do they become a better version of themselves?
Because I was left more confused than I expected to be I’m not sure who to recommend Monolith to. It’s sort of sci-fi. It’s sort of weird and creepy. The actress in it is good and does a solid job being the only person in it. It’s well made too, but can you truly recommend a movie you can’t admit to understanding? To me it’s a movie that people will have wildly different takes on the ending and that’s cool.
The Nerds Templar 