Matt's Movie Reviews logo
HOME REVIEWS PODCAST FEATURES TOP TEN VIDEO TOP MOVIES MMR AWARDS ABOUT
Facebook logo Twitter logo Instagram logo YouTube logo RSS logo
Custom Search

A BRILLIANT MONSTER (2018)

A Brilliant Monster poster

CAST
DENNIS FRIEBE
ALEX FIGUEROA
BILL KELLY
JOY KIGIN
NICK LEALI
DINA NAJJAR
DAVID RAIZOR

STORY BY
F.C. RABBATH

SCREENPLAY BY
ADAM BERTOCCI
F.C. RABBATH

PRODUCED BY
JESSIA ROSZKO
RAMSEY WHITE

DIRECTED BY
F.C. RABBATH

GENRE
DRAMA
HORROR

RATED
AUS:NA
UK:NA
USA:NA

RUNNING TIME
90 MIN

 

 

A Brilliant Monster image

Prolific indie filmmaker F.C. Rabbath delivers his best work yet in A Brilliant Monster, successfully delivering a metaphor rich, character driven horror-drama that is both relevant and thought provoking.

“Success is a monster that swallows you whole”. This is the message centre of filmmaker F.C. Rabbath’s 8th feature film A Brilliant Monster, and it’s one that very much plays a role in the real world too. From Ray Kroc to Steve Jobs, the road to success is often littered with the trampled upon bodies of those who stood in the way of that ultimate prize: fame, money, recognition and power. In the end stands tall a figure worshipped and lauded.

 Such is the case of Mitch Stockridge (Dennis Friebe), the author of several self-help books that has changed the lives of many and thrust him into the national spotlight. Yet Mitch has a secret: he has a monster in the closet. Literally. Mitch feeds this monster unsuspecting victims. In return, he receives the inspiration needed to write another successful book.

It is an interesting concept to be sure, and one which Rabbath does a great job presenting, complete with schlocky looking monster and all (such are the results of an indie production budget). There has been several studies that present a correlation between success and psychopathy, and plenty of films that have tackled the subject. Yet unlike Swimming with Sharks and American Psycho, Rabbath’s protagonist/antagonist in A Brilliant Monster is one steeped in back story and motive, making Mitch Stockridge a creature to be feared yet one to also sympathise with.

The on-point performance from Dennis Friebe is key in achieving such a feat. Suitably charming and personable on the outside, it is Friebe’s portrayal of the beast within – wounded, angry, and hungry for his pound of flesh – that presents the monstrously good quality of this turn, providing both the depth and the momentum in this surprisingly relevant tale.

Indie horror films can often be nothing more than cheap thrill, exploitative packages. Rabbath successfully approaches his horror story as a drama first, where its message is just as chilling as its bloodshed, a fantastical look into the beast that can be unleashed in many of us.

 

****

RELATED CONTENT
Prodigy image The Dark Tapes image

APPROVED CRITIC AT
Rotten Tomatoes Logo
APPROVED CRITIC AT

Created and Edited by Matthew Pejkovic / Contact: mattsm@mattsmoviereviews.net
Logo created by Colony Graphic Design / Copyright © Matthew Pejkovic