Movies in Review: "Monsters and Men"

As of late there have been a number of films being released touching on the problem of police brutality that has been prevalent in America. I appreciate these stories being told, although personally I find them hard to watch at times. Monsters and Men is another one of these films. As I think I may have had my fill for a minute and probably would have passed on seeing this film, I was too intrigued with the cast to let it pass me by. The movie stars John David Washington, who has made his way to the top of my list for male actors. I also have an appreciation for the actor Anthony Ramos (Hamilton cast). The trailer was also intriguing as the story seemed to also provide the point of view from officers. I expected this movie to be more than decent, I was just hoping I could get myself to keep calm and sit through it.

Of course, the content had me sucking my teeth, because it's seriously just hard to watch. I enjoyed the performances however the film wasn't as powerful as I had expected it to be. It had powerful content that felt a little fluffed. I can't say I was a fan of how the story flowed with one story rolling into the other but having too subtle of a connection. I enjoyed the first 2 stories, but it was the third that dragged a little and could have ended more powerfully. This film has a long running time, and sort of dragged, especially at the end ~shrugs.

I enjoyed this movie overall, but the running time and slow pace had it loosing strength for me. I applaud the performances, but the direction was a little subpar and didn't match the weight of the content in the film. I think if you can see it, go see it. If you can't, waiting until it hits Netflix or cable TV is fine too...B+