The Terrifying Free-to-Stream Indie Mike Flanagan “Highly recommended for fans of cerebral thrillers”
Do you enjoy a taut, self-contained thriller? I surely do. I’m magnetically drawn to them. I’ve previously covered several for my Dread Central column, The Overlooked Motel. I love a stripped-back approach that builds tension by establishing a claustrophobic atmosphere. There’s something incredibly immersive about existing in a dire situation with a character who cannot or will not leave the locale where the action is unfolding.
The Rodrigo Cortés film Buried remains one of the single greatest single-location thrillers of our time. It’s widely celebrated as a top-notch effort that weaponizes dread, grabbing the audience by the throat and never letting go. The entire film unfolds inside a coffin, making the scope about as small as possible.
The scope doesn’t have to be quite that confined to work, though. In fact, the mind-melting sci-fi thriller Monolith gives its plucky protagonist a little more room to breathe, setting the bulk of the action within the four walls of her parents’ home. Director Matt Vesely makes great use of the core location, making viewers feel like the walls are closing in on the lead character.
This paranoid thriller has flown under the radar for many, but those who have watched it have responded enthusiastically. Among the film’s fans is Before I Wake director Mike Flanagan. I know this because he reviewed the film on Letterboxd last year and had nothing but love for it.
Flanagan’s punchy critique reads as follows: “Very clever minimalist thriller that does an awful lot with a little. Essentially a one-woman show acted fiercely by Lily Sullivan (with assists from some excellent vocal performances). This is a very taut single-location horror/thriller about paranoia, guilt and trauma – and, maybe, an alien invasion – that promises big things from writer Lucy Campbell and director Matt Vesely. Highly recommended for fans of cerebral thrillers.”
What is Monolith about?
While trying to salvage her career, a disgraced journalist (Sullivan) begins investigating a strange conspiracy theory. But as the trail leads uncomfortably close to home, she is left to grapple with the lies at the heart of her own story.
As luck would have it, Monolith is currently streaming on Tubi. So, if you’re in the mood to take in this nightmarish effort, make your way over there and give it a whirl.
That’s all that we’ve got for you at this juncture. Keep an eye out for more recommendations from your favorite horror genre filmmakers in the near future.
Categorized: News
