Blu-ray Review: Alejandro Landes’ MONOS Is A Perfect Piece Of Cinema

Director Alejandro Landes’ Monos is a rich and textured drama – it’s the type of film which captures everyone who sees under its spell . Landes’ film has been compared to Lord Of The Flies and Apocalypse Now and it’s a pretty accurate description of this earthy and dreamlike drama. 

On the surface, Monos doesn’t sound like it holds a lot of plot, but this drama about teenage guerrillas in the Colombian mountains is a riveting slice of international cinema. It may not have achieved a mainstream release or the awards attention it deserved, but this is a fascinating film with incredibly strong performances from its talented young cast. 

Jasper Wolf’s cinematography is an utter joy to behold and Mica Levi’s score   adds an additional layer of power to the hugely impressive visuals and performances. Levi is (not so) quietly becoming one of the great composers of our time, having delivered outstanding work in mood pieces like Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin and Pablo Larraín’s Jackie. This continues a hot streak that will likely run and run. 

Cinema doesn’t come much richer than Monos. It’s a film that was a hit with those who saw it on the arthouse circuit, but it truly deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.