''Monster'' is a 2003 American
biographical
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
crime drama film
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...
written and directed by
Patty Jenkins
Patricia Lea Jenkins (born July 24, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She has directed the feature films ''Monster'' (2003), ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), and ''Wonder Woman 1984'' (2020). For the film ''Monster'', she w ...
in her feature directorial debut. The film is about
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Carol Wuornos (; born Pittman; February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer. In 1989–1990, while engaging in street prostitution along highways in Florida, she shot dead and robbed seven of her male clients. W ...
, a
street prostitute who murdered seven of her male clients between 1989 and 1990 and was
executed
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
in Florida in 2002. It stars
Charlize Theron (who also produced) as Wuornos, and
Christina Ricci as her semi-fictionalized lover, Selby Wall (based on Wuornos's real-life girlfriend, Tyria Moore).
''Monster'' had its world premiere at the
AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
on November 16, 2003. On February 8, 2004, it premiered at the
54th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the
Golden Bear
The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin.
History
The win ...
, while Theron won the
Silver Bear for Best Actress
The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...
. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 24, 2003, by
Newmarket Films
Newmarket Films, LLC was an American privately owned independent film production and distribution company and a former film distribution subsidiary of Newmarket Capital Group. The company produced such films as ''The Mexican'', ''Cruel Intentions ...
. ''Monster'' received positive reviews from critics and achieved box office success, grossing $64.2 million on an $1.5 million budget.
The film received a large number of awards and nominations, in particular for Theron's role, including the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
, the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, the
SAG Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, the
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress
The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress is an award given out at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The awards are presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), and was first presented in 1995. There were no official ...
, the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, and also the
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
for
Best First Feature
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
(Patty Jenkins). Theron's acting has received critical acclaim; film critic
Roger Ebert called Theron's role "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema".
The film was chosen by the
American Film Institute as one of the
top ten films of 2003.
Plot
In 1989, after moving from
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
to
Daytona Beach, Florida, and on the verge of committing suicide,
street prostitute Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Carol Wuornos (; born Pittman; February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer. In 1989–1990, while engaging in street prostitution along highways in Florida, she shot dead and robbed seven of her male clients. W ...
meets Selby Wall in a
gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clientele; the term '' gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT communities.
Gay bars once serv ...
. Although she is initially hostile and declares that she is not
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
, Aileen talks to Selby while drinking beer. Selby takes to Aileen almost immediately, as she likes that she is very protective of her. Selby invites Aileen to spend the night with her. The two women return to the house where Selby is staying (temporarily exiled by her parents following the accusation from another girl that Selby tried to kiss her). They later agree to meet at a
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
rink, and they kiss for the first time. Aileen and Selby fall in love, but they have nowhere to go, so Selby goes back to her aunt's home.
After being brutally
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...
d and beaten by a client, Vincent Corey, Aileen kills him in
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...
and decides to quit prostitution. She confesses her actions to Selby, who has been angry with her for her failure to support both of them. Aileen decides to find legitimate work, but because of her lack of qualifications and criminal history, prospective employers reject her and are openly hostile. Desperate for money, Aileen returns to prostitution. She robs and kills her
johns, each killed in a more brutal way than the last, as she is convinced that they are all trying to rape her. She spares one man out of pity when he admits he has never had sex with a prostitute. She also shows a predisposition to spare another man who, instead of exploiting her, offers help, but finds herself forced to shoot him after he spots her gun. Aileen uses the money she stole from her victims to support herself and Selby.
However, Selby reads in the newspapers about the string of murders, and she begins to suspect that Aileen may have committed them. She confronts Aileen, who justifies her actions by claiming she had only been protecting herself. Selby returns to
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
on a charter bus. The night of her arrest, Aileen is approached at the
biker bar
A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by motorcyclists (bikers). Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward motorcyclists. she frequents by two strangers, who unbeknownst to her are
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
s. Thomas, whom Aileen always referred to as the only friend she had, infers the men's intentions and offers to drive her off. Aileen declines, no longer trusting herself with the well-being of anyone dear to her. The two men eventually lure Aileen out of the bar and she is promptly arrested by the police. Aileen speaks to Selby one last time while in jail. Selby reveals some incriminating information over the telephone and Aileen realizes that the police are listening in. To protect Selby, Aileen admits that she committed the murders alone. During Aileen's trial, Selby testifies against her, with Aileen's loving consent. Aileen is convicted of the murders and
sentenced to death
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
. On October 9, 2002, Aileen is executed by
lethal injection.
Cast
Music
Soundtrack
In 2004,
BT released an official
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
to the film. Included with the release is a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
featuring all fifteen original cues, and an additional nine cues that would not fit on the CD, as well as an interview with BT and Patty Jenkins, and remix files for "Ferris Wheel".
All music is composed by BT.
*1. "Childhood Montage"
*2. "Girls Kiss"
*3. "The Bus Stop"
*4. "Turning Tricks"
*5. "First Kill"
*6. "Job Hunt"
*7. "Bad Cop"
*8. "'Call Me Daddy' Killing"
*9. "I Don't Like It Rough"
*10. "Ferris Wheel (Love Theme)"
*11. "Ditch the Car"
*12. "Madman Speech"
*13. "Cop Killing"
*14. "News on TV"
*15. "Courtroom"
Songs
Songs which appeared in the film, but not on the official soundtrack:
* "
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin' is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, ''Escape'' (1981), released through Columbia Records. "Don't Stop Believin'" shares writ ...
" –
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
* "
Where Do I Begin" –
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
* "
Crimson and Clover
"Crimson and Clover" is a 1968 song by American rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Written by the duo of Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr., it was intended as a change in direction of the group's sound and composition.
"Crimson and ...
" –
Tommy James & The Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American pop rock/ psychedelic rock band, formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – " Hanky Panky" (July 1966, their only RIAA Certified Gold record) and " Crimson and C ...
* "
All She Wants Is
"All She Wants Is" is a song by British new wave band Duran Duran. It was released in December 1988 as the second single from the '' Big Thing'' album and reached No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the Un ...
" –
Duran Duran
* "
Space Age Love Song
"Space Age Love Song" is a 1982 Single (music), single released by the British band A Flock of Seagulls. It was their fourth single. Lead guitarist Paul Reynolds (musician), Paul Reynolds remarked on their 1984 video album ''Through the Looking ...
" –
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave band formed in Liverpool in 1979. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds, hit the peak of their chart success in the early 1980s.
The ...
* "
Shake Your Groove Thing
"Shake Your Groove Thing" is a song by disco duo Peaches & Herb. The single reached No. 5 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Chart. It also reached No. 2 for four weeks on the '' Billboard'' Disco chart in 1 ...
" –
Peaches & Herb
Peaches & Herb is an American vocal duo. Herb Fame (born October 1, 1941) has remained a constant as "Herb" since the duo was created in 1966; seven different women have filled the role of "Peaches", most notably Francine Edna "Peaches" Hurd B ...
* "
Tide Is High" –
Blondie
* "
What You Need" –
INXS
* "
Sugar and Spice" –
The Searchers
''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John W ...
* "Secret Crush on You" – Pete Surdoval, Al Gross
* "Flirtin' With Disaster" –
Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet is an American rock band formed in 1971 by guitarist Dave Hlubek in Jacksonville, Florida. They were a popular band during the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s among the southern rock and hard rock communities. The band released ...
* "
Keep On Loving You" –
REO Speedwagon
* "Crazy Girl" – Molly Pasutti
* "
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
"Do You Wanna Touch Me", also referred to as "Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah)" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander. It was released as the lead single from his second s ...
" –
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
* "A Road Runner: Road Runner's 'G' Jam" –
Humble Pie
* "Sweet Peace and Time" –
Humble Pie
Reception
Critical response
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has a rating of 81%, based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Charlize Theron gives a searing, deglamorized performance as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in ''Monster'', an intense, disquieting portrait of a profoundly damaged soul."
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
''Monster'' received generally positive reviews from critics; most gave overwhelmingly high praise to Theron's performance as a mentally unstable woman – Wuornos had
antisocial personality disorder and
borderline personality disorder. For the role, Theron gained , shaved her eyebrows, and wore
prosthetic
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
teeth. Critics called her performance, and her makeup, a "transformation".
Film critic
Roger Ebert named ''Monster'' ″the best film of the year″, gave it four stars out of four, and noted that Theron's role is "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema":
In 2009, Ebert named it the third-best film of the decade. Ricci's performance also drew some praise, but was not without criticism. In his review for the film, Ebert praised her performance, stating "Christina Ricci finds the right note for Selby Wall – so correct some critics have mistaken it for bad acting, when in fact it is sublime acting in its portrayal of a bad actor. She plays Selby as clueless, dim, in over her head, picking up cues from moment to moment, cobbling her behavior out of notions borrowed from bad movies, old songs, and barroom romances".
However, several people who knew Wuornos criticized the movie for portraying her as a victim and her victims as villains.
In culture
In 2005, a reference to ''Monster'' appeared in the series ''
Arrested Development
The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...
''.
Charlize Theron plays the role of
Rita
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
in the series, and in the episode ″
The Ocean Walker
The third season of the television comedy series ''Arrested Development'' aired between September 19, 2005 and February 10, 2006, on Fox in the United States. It consists of 13 episodes, each running approximately 22 minutes in length. The third ...
″, a frame from ''Monster'' appears on the screen with the clarification that this is a photo of Rita a year ago before the plastic surgery.
In 2014, on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'', Charlize Theron made a self-reference to her role of Aileen Wuornos.
In the sketch ''Pet Rescue Commercial'',
Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is known for her character work and celebrity impressions on the sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (2012–2022), of which she was a cas ...
asked her to play a cat lady, whose image and behavior are based on Wuornos from ''Monster''.
In 2018, comedian
Willam
Willam Belli (, born June 30, 1982), mononymously known as Willam, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, reality television personality, author, and YouTuber. Willam came to prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of ''R ...
released his
third album
''Third Album'' is the third studio album released by the Jackson 5 on Motown Records, and the group's second LP released in 1970, on September 18.
''Third Album'' featured the group's fourth consecutive No. 1 single on the US pop charts, " I' ...
with the song "Aileen" and the music video for the song, which are dedicated to Wuornos and this film.
Accolades
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monster
2000s English-language films
2003 films
2003 biographical drama films
Biographical films about serial killers
2003 drama films
Drama films based on actual events
2003 crime drama films
2003 crime thriller films
Crime films based on actual events
2003 romantic drama films
2003 thriller drama films
2003 independent films
2003 directorial debut films
2000s serial killer films
2003 LGBT-related films
2000s American films
2000s female buddy films
American biographical drama films
American crime drama films
American crime thriller films
American independent films
American serial killer films
American LGBT-related films
American films about revenge
American female buddy films
Cultural depictions of Aileen Wuornos
Films about Aileen Wuornos
Films about prostitution in the United States
Films about rape in the United States
American rape and revenge films
Films about capital punishment
Girls with guns films
Women and death
Lesbian-related films
LGBT-related drama films
LGBT-related romantic drama films
LGBT-related films based on actual events
LGBT-related buddy films
Films directed by Patty Jenkins
Films with screenplays by Patty Jenkins
Films produced by Charlize Theron
Films produced by Donald Kushner
Films scored by BT (musician)
Films shot in Florida
Films set in Florida
Films set in 1989
Films set in the 1990s
Newmarket films
Films featuring a Best Drama Actress Golden Globe-winning performance
Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance
Biographical films about LGBT people
Crimes against sex workers in fiction