Colossal

COLOSSAL

Director : Nacho Vigalondo

Year : 2017

Genre : Sci-Fi

Rating : ****

At a time when originality is becoming increasingly rare in the world of cinema, it is important for reviewers to highlight and celebrate films which are truly original. This is most definitely the case with 'Colossal', Nacho Vigalondo's refreshingly bizarre, hilarious and utterly unique sci-fi comedy that gleefully subverts the well-worn conventions of the traditional monster movie with wonderfully strange and unexpected results. 

In a plot full of twists and turns, Oscar winner Anne Hathaway stars as Gloria, a failed writer whose growing addiction to alcohol has all but destroyed her life. Dumped by her longtime boyfriend (Dan Stevens) and evicted from her home, Gloria is forced to move back into the small Mid-American town in which she grew up with only a battered blow-up mattress and a laptop in her possession.

Things begin to look up for our tortured protagonist when she bumps into Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), an old school friend who promptly offers her a job in his bar. However, when a gigantic reptilian beast begins to terrorize the streets of Seoul, South Korea, Gloria soon becomes all too aware of the destructive nature of her alcoholism. And to say anymore would ruin the fun as much of 'Colossal's enjoyment comes from it's quirky unpredictability.

As always, Anne Hathaway is very good here in her central role as the troubled Gloria whose only solace lies in the bottom of a bottle while the usually irritating Jason Sudeikis gives the best performance of his career so far - playing the seemingly lovable Oscar with an edge and danger more characteristic of that of Michael Keaton than the usually idiotic and crass archetypes Sudeikis has been lumbered with for the past decade or so. But of course, anyone who comes to 'Colossal' are waiting for the headlining beast and thankfully, Vigalondo doesn't disappoint. 

Despite being made on a $15m budget, the CG visuals in 'Colossal' are surprisingly effective. Playful yet undoubtedly horrifying, Vigalondo's creation is a tour de force of subtlety and execution - effortlessly utilising the same techniques as implemented by Gareth Edwards (director of 2014's 'Godzilla') to create an atmosphere of dread and mystery. Like Edward's titular atomic-breathed kaiju, we don't see a huge amount of Vigalondo's horned colossus but when we do, the effect is truly startling.

But as is the case with the best monster movies, the central leviathan in 'Colossal' is a far more complex creation than its destructive nature would first dictate. In the same way that Godzilla represented Japan's fears of nuclear weaponry and Cloverfield was made in direct response to the horrors of 9/11, the Seoul-destroying monster in 'Colossal' is a physical manifestation of a current social issue - one that, to my knowledge, has never been explored in the sub-genre. However just like the plot, I'm not to spoil what issue(s) the film may or may not target. What I will say is that for anyone like me who was disappointed by the CGI drudgery of 'Kong Skull Island' earlier this year, 'Colossal' proves to be a far more intelligent, emotional and funnier alternative.

The movie isn't perfect. There are some quite drastic tonal shifts towards the end of the 2nd act which really aren't handled too well and the script inevitably loses its joyfully black streak as the film reaches it's supernatural climax. However, as a genre-bending oddity, 'Colossal' is a hugely entertaining thrill-ride that is surely destined to become the next cult classic.