Monsters (2010)

A man and woman are trekking through a massive swath of Mexican jungle, dodging ungodly large alien creatures that have killed scores of other people. Their destination: The fortress wall that divides Mexico and the United States. This is the premise of “Monsters, ” a stellar film made for less than $500,000 that again proves in sci-fi that less can mean more, especially when you have compelling characters, a strong plot and moody editing that reveals the scares bit-by-bit. Independent filmmaker Gareth Edwards directed, wrote, filmed and produced this great, smart flick with shoot-and-run photography and a desktop PC. For that feat alone, I love this film. Throw $150 million at this film’s premise and we’d have lots of fleshy CGI. No bone. This has bone, and character. The split-second Mobius strip ending is a kick to the head that almost demands an instant re-watch. Scoot McNairy and Whitney Ableare are the leads. Tense. Brilliant. Paced out as is the best of true sci-fi treats. A-