If there are any movies that I enjoyed seeing last year, one of them would have to be Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster.” It is a horror comedy in which Laura Franco, a musical theater actress, gets dumped by her boyfriend because he doesn’t want to deal with her cancer diagnosis so she starts to spiral and fall into a pit of despair as her ex boyfriend replaces her during his upcoming show with his new girlfriend who takes her place as the lead in his new musical.
As Franco seems to lose hope, she suddenly sees that there is a literal monster living in her childhood home, and while they don’t get along at first, they start to realize that they aren’t so different after all. Franco and the Monster seem to form a close bond that will test their relationship for the entirety of the movie as they both go through ups and downs while being themselves and wondering if they’re relationship is strong enough to last as they go through trials and hardships as they continue to bond with each other through their love of the performing arts.
Melissa Barrera, who plays Franco in this film, is a powerhouse, not only when it comes to horror but in her superb musicality, which she has been proving since her turn in “In the Heights.” With her performances in last year’s surprising horror hit “Abigail” and the endearing horror-comedy “Your Monster,” she continues to showcase a range of skill that has no end.
Melissa’s chemistry with the Monster (played by Tommy Dewey) is similarly impressive, weaving beautifully from not trusting each other to later forming an undeniable attraction as they begin to develop romantic feelings for one another. The most impressive aspect of this film is in managing to capture comedy, horror and heart at the same time through Barrera’s character as she not only comes to her own feelings with the Monster but as she discovers more about herself in the process.
“Your Monster” is further proof that Melissa Barrera is on the precipice of true stardom as Barrera proves she is someone to look out for in Hollywood. Overall, if you are a theater kid or fan of the horror genre, you’ll absolutely enjoy “Your Monster,” as it is the perfect blend of comedy, romance, horror and upbeat show tunes.
