Monster treads the line between horrific and devastating...

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jan 23, 2025

In other hands, this could have become overwrought melodrama, but Jenkins skillfully mines the humanity within the sensationalism to come up with something that is both tender and chilling - and ultimately heartbreaking.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 22, 2024

Patty Jenkins’s film may be lurid, but it has a strong air of realism.

| Oct 31, 2022

Monster is an almost masterpiece film and serial killer biography. It's somber and honest while it does not glamorize Aileen Wuornos and gives her a bit of humanity.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Apr 11, 2020

A somber, manipulative movie of the week that has connected with many people, but not this one.

| Original Score: C+ | Nov 16, 2019

Theron keeps the proceedings on track. Her fierce, hauntingly vulnerable, Academy Award-winning performance shows us who Aileen Wuornos really was.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Jenkins's Monster tells the story of victimisation and re-victimisation through Aileen Wuornos.

| May 7, 2019

Powerful, painful for mature audiences only.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 26, 2010

By "Monster's" end, nothingness replaces Aileen Wuornos' ferocity - evidence of exhaustive efforts from Patty Jenkins and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron to emphasize this serial killer's fraying sanity, not her crimes' sensationalism.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 12, 2010

The film's worth seeing for Charlize Theorn's stunning performance, based on complete physical and psychological transformation, but as a dramatic feature, it lacks an interesting perspective and is underpopulated in terms of characters.

| Original Score: C+ | May 4, 2010

Charlize Theron gives her finest performance yet in the unlikely role of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in this riveting depiction of the Florida prostitute's decent into madness.

| Original Score: A | May 11, 2009

Theron is the most convincing actress to play Aileen Wuornos ever and really dives into the role...

| Apr 29, 2009

Theron makes Aileen realistically frightening and unreachable at times. Murder in her hands is certainly not cool.

| Original Score: A | Jul 18, 2008

As impressive as [Charlize Theron's] transformation is, it's likely to spawn more discussions about acting than about the topic at hand.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 3, 2008

Makes you just want to back away for safety, but also cuts right through your heart for this long wounded creature.

| May 26, 2007

Charlize Theron's Oscar-winning toure de force!

| Original Score: 4/4 | Apr 22, 2007

A powerful film, and Theron's performance is as spectacular as advertised.

| Original Score: B | Apr 29, 2006

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 1, 2006

Theron gives a powerful, chameleon-like performance in this disturbing but very sad film that shows how harsh the world can seem to people living on the fringe of society.

| Original Score: 3.75/4 | Dec 22, 2005

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 6, 2005